What have I done
by LadyTrish
Summary: Ziva is observing a suspect, Tony is having dinner with another woman. The evening goes terribly wrong, when Ziva finds something out.
1. The suspect

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Hey! This is my first fanfic, please please review. Thank you. Enjoy 

I don't own NCIS.

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It was dark, to dark and in a way it made her feel uncomfortable. She Ziva David the Mossad assassin felt odd, like something will go wrong tonight. She had to sit in this car all by herself and watch the hotel where the suspect was having fun with a big breasted, very expensive whore. "What did men think that women are, just sex objects?" she asked herself. "I have to sit here all alone, while Tony is having dinner with some other brainless bimbo, Gibbs works on his boat, and McGee is playing Elflord." she said really irritated. 

Almost two hours have passed since these thoughts went trough Ziva's head. She really wanted to get back to her apartment, take a hot shower and then go to bed. At the same time she couldn't stop thinking about Tony. She did not want to admit, but she was jealous. "I wonder if he took her to that nice Pizza place?" she sadly said. She would love to tell him, how she really felt and that he made her melt away inside every time he looked at her. "That's enough Ziva! You have more important things to do, then think about Tony and your feelings. Pull yourself together!" she angrily said and then looked again at the entrance of the hotel. It seemed that Mr. Rogers had a lot of fun, with his new toy and did not want to leave the hotel. Mr. Roger was a suspect in a murder case, but there were no direct evidence linking Rogers to patty officer Nelson's death. That's why she was here, waiting for the suspect to come out and follow him, maybe he would lead her to some of his associates and then find out why the poor office had to loose his head, literally.

At midnight Ziva had enough, she didn't care if Gibbs is going to head-slap her tomorrow from here to Canada; she wanted to take a shower and sleep.

She was just about to start the car, when she noticed that somebody was getting out of the hotel. It was Rogers and he seemed really happy. In front of the hotel, a limousine was waiting for him and a guy in a funny red suite opened the door.

"Finally, something happens." Ziva thought. The limousine started moving and so did she. Between her Mini and the limousine were 2 other cars. She did not want Rogers to suspect that he is being followed. Although it was almost 2 o'clock in the morning the streets of Washington were alive and Rogers did not seem to notice that the pissed Israeli was following him. She had to brace herself not to step on the gas pedal, and not to drive in her own style, she was at the moment your average American driver, patiently following all the rules.

Meanwhile at the other end of the city, Tony was enjoying his Pizza, while checking out his new date. Her name was Kendra, and worked at the flower shop. She was blond, had a body like a goddess but unfortunately the brain of mouse. The conversation was more of a monologue from his side and hysterical laughter from her side. In a way Tony felt ashamed by the presence of this gorgeous woman, but oh so dumb. Kendra was talking about the different ways one can wrap roses and what colors one should used when doing a bouquets for a wedding, but Tony was not actually listening to her, his head was full of only one image and name. Ziva.

"Wow this is boring" he thought. "I would kill to have Ziva here, so I can make one of my jokes about some movie that she has not seen, and of course her responding really sarcastic."

The picture of her long dark hair and her beautiful chocolate eyes kept coming back to his mind and in a way it made him wish, that he could be there with her, in that car waiting for Rogers. His own stupid mistake made him, skip on an evening with Ziva, an evening when he could tease her and annoy her, and her threatening to kill him with a paperclip.

But he missed out on all that fun, because he chooses to be here with Kendra, eating a great pizza but listening to the most boring conversation ever. "Stop it Tony! You are a DiNozzo, and this girl is charmed by you. Stop thinking about our local assassin and enjoy the evening with this charming woman." Tony said to himself.

He focused on Kendra for 10 minutes and yes he was bored again. Thank God the conversation shifted from wedding bouquets, to Valentine's Day bouquets. Fascinating had to say, and the worst part of all was, he could not stop Kendra from talking.

He decided to go back to his own little world, where Ziva would make him laugh, where he could think about that soft skin of hers. He got to feel it, during the undercover mission they had. Her perfume drove him insane, and her eyes hypnotized him. Everything felt so right. Him touching her, hugging her and her not threatening to kill him with a paperclip. It was something he could get used to, but now he was sure that Ziva would kill him in many different ways, and all of them painful. After Jeanne, Ziva was there for, when he needed a friend, although he would never had admitted it. She was in a way his savior, his friend, his partner and…Tony was afraid to think of that other option. He thought he loved Jeanne, he was actually sure of it, but Ziva was always present in his mind. "I love her. Damn it DiNozzo, you always manage to screw up everything." he angrily thought.

"Would you excuse me for a second? I have to visit the little boy's room" he said smiling and got up from the chair.

At the other end of the city, the limousine stopped in front of an old warehouse. Ziva parked her Mini close buy. She stayed hidden in the shadow of an old container, but she had a perfect view of the limousine, and Rogers.

Rogers got out of the car and was greeted by four other men. They were speaking to each other and showing every couple of minutes at the warehouse.

"Shit! I need to go closer so I can hear what they are talking about." She said and then checked if her sig had ammunition. "Like Tony would say, Show time" ,Ziva said and got out of the car.

Her slim body and her feline movements made it possible for her to get near the warehouse, without being observed. The five men were preparing to enter the warehouse and talk business. She knew that she shouldn't follow them so lose, that she should call Gibbs or Tony for back-up, but if she would go in, she could bring Gibbs solid evidence and this wouldn't be a wasted night. Every fiber of her body was saying that she shouldn't go in, but Ziva ignored it and said to herself that she is a grown woman and knows how to take care of herself.

She circled the building, but couldn't find and extra door to get in. After all she could not just go in trough the front door. She was only one person; they were at least five, with guns. Then Ziva saw an open window, not to high to reach. The window was open and big enough for her to slide through. She jumped and grabbed herself on the edge of the window and then pulled herself up. Without making any sound she slipped through and hid behind some old pieces of metal. The distance was perfect; she could hear everything they were talking about. To her surprise there were only Rogers and another man that were talking. It seemed the others disappeared in to thin air.

"I want to take her down. I want that woman and I want her to suffer" barked a man with an accent.

"Be patient, you will have her. But first I want my money. I did what you asked me to do, Nelson is dead." Rogers answered back.

Ziva tried to get a better look at the man with the accent. He looked familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on.

Then she heard another one scream. Her cover had been blown. She moved away from the metal pieces and prepared herself for the attack. Rogers and the man with the accent rushed away, and she was surrounded by eight men with chains. Ziva kicked one of them in the face; she then turned around and hit somebody in his stomach. Two guys came up to her and grabbed her by her arms. She swung herself up and kicked another one in the face. Then she managed to kick one of the men that were holding her in the nuts, having one arm loose, she twisted the arm of the attacked that was holding her other arm. A cracking-noise was clearly heard and for one second the attackers seemed to stop. But it was a short break from all the kicking. A massive men came up to Ziva picked her up and threw her against the wall. This made Ziva only madder, and she got up on her feet again.

"I want her alive", yelled the voice with the familiar accent.

Two of the bullies came and grabbed her and one hit her in the face, making her stop fighting. The man with the funny accent came out of the dark and Ziva's eyes grew wide. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"YOU!?" said an angry and sad Ziva


	2. What the hell?

What the hell?

She couldn't believe her eyes. He the man that her father trusted more then anything else in the world was here. The man that knew almost everything about Mossad and her was holding her hostage and betraying her father.

"Barak, what the hell are you doing here?" Ziva asked with a mixture of anger, surprise and sadness in her voice.

"I am here to have a little fun, my dear Ziva. I got bored of playing the nice guy all the time and I think I will make you pay some of your father's old debts", Barak said, with a smirk on his face.

"What are you talking about, what do you want from me?" she asked, feeling angrier every second that passed.

"To suffer my dear child and die." He yelled on top of his lungs and the slapped Ziva with all his power.

She felt the whole power of the blow. Yes she remembered that Barak could be nice and loveable, but then become brutal. He enjoyed to see other suffer and loved to torture.

Even if her face burned because of the blow and she felt the blood, leaking from her nose, she managed to put a smile on her face.

"Is that the best you can do, Barak? You grew soft", she replayed to the hit with amusement in her voice. "Do you really think that some little thing like your good for nothing slap can break me? My good you are getting old, I think it would be time for you to retire."

Barak, felt the anger growing inside of him, he wanted to hurt her now, make her scream and beg him to kill her. But no, that would be too easy, and she had to pay. Pay for her father's sins. Pay for the times he had to stay in the office and work, not be able to see his family. Pay for his son, who died for David and Mossad. She had to pay, and he will take her ending slow, even take everything away from her, everything she loved.

"My dear Ziva, do you think that this infantile tactics would make me react, and grant you the opportunity to escape. As you surely remember, I am the one who invented this kind of tactic." He said and starting to search her pockets.

He found her phone, her sig and the other weapons she had upon her.

"I don't think you will be needing these my dear. Where you will be staying there is not reason to have a gun, and then when you will leave us for good, you surely will not need weapons." He said, laughing like crazy, of this funny joke.

"Take her away boys, bring her to the basement and let her keep the rats company."

Ziva did not fear Barak, she did not fear death but why does it always have to be torture. For once she wished she could just die and get it over with. Now she had to endure, long hours of torture from the master of torture.

Two massive men, handcuffed her and a mile flickered on her face, because she really thought she can get away from the handcuffs and find a way to escape this prison. But her joy was only for short term because she heard Barak's voice.

"Oh, my dear Ziva do not even imagine that you can free yourself from this cuffs. They are made out of titanium and the only way to unlock them is with an electronic chip, which I hold on me all the time, or by cutting your hands of." He started to laugh madly and Ziva became very pale.

The two bodyguards brought her in to the basement and threw her on the floor. After the door was closed and sealed, she tried to free herself from the handcuffs. It was no use, it seemed like they were special made for her.

She sat down on the floor and thought about the Tony, about Ncis and her past. How much she had changed in the short period of time she has been on the time. She was sure that the feelings she was having for Tony, were love. Now everything she had build, her life here will be destroyed by a mad-man, who thought that destroying her, he can destroy her father. How wrong he was, because her father would not give a damn about her.

In the toilet Tony washed his face and thought about Ziva. He wanted to be with her, tell her how much he loved her and how much he enjoyed spending time with her. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called her. The phone was ringing, but he did not hear Ziva's voice. "_Strange" he thought…"she usually picks up the phone after the first one or two rings"_. Tony hung up and thought that she might be sleeping. But he was still wondering how the observation mission went. He called again and again but when he noticed that Ziva will not answer he let her a message on her voicemail.

"Ok Tony, go back in there and face the lion. After all, she is pretty, and…pretty." He spoke out loud and looked at his reflection.

He went out of the bathroom, looking at his date, who was stupidly smiling at him. He set down and she started talking again, about something he was not really listening to. A strange feeling overcame him. Something was wrong, really wrong. Even if Ziva was sound asleep, she usually woke up when her phone was ringing. He remembered one time, when he called her at 4 o'clock in the morning because he couldn't sleep and she answered her phone after only two rings.\

"_Maybe she is in the shower"_ the little voice inside his head said _"or maybe she found a date after the mission and she is showing him what kind of screamer she was"_ This thought made him feel jealous and more unhappy. He just wanted to hear her voice. Half an hour had passed since he left her a message, and still she hasn't called.

"_Should I go over there, check her apartment?"_ he asked himself. _"Yeah, right! Good plan DiNozzo, and if she is awake or you wake her up, she will kill you instantly"_.

After this monologue he deceit that the best thing he could do is call it a night, stop Kendra from talking, go home and get some sleep. After a good night's rest he would call Ziva up or meet her at the office.

He paid, and drove Kendra home, then went straight to bed, even if his gut was telling him that something was not right.


	3. Where is Ziva?

**Thank you soooo much for the reviews. It really helps...I really hope you like it and if there is something you don't like please tell me and then I can change it.**

**xoxo **

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Where is Ziva?

"_Oh shit!!!!Oh shit!!!OH SHIT! I'm late again. Gibbs is going to head-slap me so bad that I will not know what my name is." _Tony thought the next morning, when he walked in to the office. There was no sight of Gibbs or Ziva, only McGee typing frenetically on his keyboard.

"Good morning Tony. Said McGee…Had a nice time last night with your date, or did she stood you up again?"

"Well good morning to you too probie. No she did not stood me up and yes we had a nice date. Did you have any of those lately?" Tony replied with a grin on his face.

"Where is Gibbs and our Israeli assassin?" Tony asked and looked around the office.

"Gibbs is out for coffee and I haven't seen Ziva yet this morning". McGee answered and went back to his typing.

"You're late DiNozzo! Where the hell have you been?" Gibbs asked annoyed.

"Well boss you know…I…I…I" Tony mumbled and stuttered while he was trying to figure out a decent response that would grant him only a mild head-slap.

"I don't want to know and where the hell is David?" he yelled annoyed, while almost spilling his coffee.

"I haven't seen her yet boss, and her car is not in the parking lot." McGee answered and was preparing to be yelled at…Should I try her cell?"

"You think McGee? Don't stand around looking at me just do it" he barked and then took another sip of his coffee.

"On it boss." McGee answered and started looking for his phone.

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Gibbs's phone rang and he answered.

"Gibbs"

"I have something you own special agent Gibbs" the voice said.

"Who is this and what are you talking about?" Gibbs asked.

"Well let's say I am a friend, that just borrowed something from you… he paused… I am not going to be nice to her special agent Gibbs. Now you listen to me and really listen, she has to pay for what happened. Ziva David will be hurt and she is going to beg me to die, and I am not going to make her wish come true." The voice yelled.

"Ok now I heard your side of the story, now you listen to me dirt-bag, I want her back and I want her unharmed and if you touch her I am going to break every bone in your body" Gibbs barked.

"Na, na, na, na, special agent Gibbs. I wouldn't speak like that. The hurting has allready began, and I will crack her and she will bleed and then the shadow that was once Ziva David will die. You will get her body in the mail if you are not nice to me. Or maybe I will send her to the people that love her in to small peaces, one for each of you... the voice paused and then continued in an amused tone. Now I have to go agent Gibbs, you know dear Ziva is waiting for me and we have a lot to catch up. After all she has many bones in her body, a strong will and I have so much time."

"I am going to find and hurt you." Gibbs said in a low voice.

"Now, now, Gibbs, don't worry I will keep you posted on Ziva's condition." The voice barked.

The phone went dead and after a while Gibbs turned to face his team. Should he tell them that a man-man is going to kill Ziva very soon, or should he spear them and try to come up with a solution. McGee's voice made him come out of his reverie.

"Boss, she's not answering, I called her apartment as well but she doesn't pick up the phone and her neighbor said that she has not seen Ziva for the past 24 hours." He said with distress in his voice.

Tony was shocked, he could not understand what was going on. He saw the worried look on McGee's face and at the same time he overheard pieces of Gibbs conversation with the stranger. By the way Gibbs looked it was clear that something was very wrong and if he hunch was correct it had to be something connected to Ziva.

He heard himself asking: "Boss, it's about Ziva. Is she fine? Now what a stupid question I am asking, if she would be fine you wouldn't look so dark and pissed."

Gibbs said slowly, trying to find the proper words, and not make the situation worst then it was _"Damn it! You know it's bad and there is no easy way to put it"_ he thought.

"Ziva has been kidnapped by a man-man who thinks Ziva has to pay for something or somebody. I don't know where she is, but I know he will keep us posted on her condition.

"McGee, trace the call" he said and looked at Tony while McGee started to work.

Tony looked like he has been hit by a rocket. _"She has been kidnapped? By a man-man? Now this is a bad dream. Wake up DiNozzo! She can't be hurt, she just can't. I love her! I want to be with her and I have never told her how I feel. I have to find her. Ziva I promise you I will find you."_

He was thinking of her and the whole situation but he did not realize that Gibbs was looking at him.

"Tony, you're with me" Gibbs said and they both went to the elevator.

Once in there, Gibbs switched the emergency button and they remained in total darkness.

Tony leaned his head against the sold metal and hoped that he would wake up out of this nightmare.

"Tony, we will find her" he paused…Do you have something to tell me? Gibbs asked

"What do you mean boss?" Tony replied

"I mean, do you love her Tony? He asked

Tony paused; this was the moment of truth. He knew he was not supposed to break rule number 12, but he couldn't help it. He just fell for her and really bad and now the thought of her dieing made him go insane. He wanted her back, wanted to hold her in his arms and confess how much he loved her and that there had never been somebody who could take her place. He looked at Gibbs face and answered with a whisper "Oh my God you have no idea."

Gibbs looked at him, he was like a son for him and he was sure that he loved Ziva and Ziva loved him.

He smiled and switched the elevator back on. They were heading to Abby's lab and Gibbs head-slapped Tony.

"What was that for, boss?" Tony asked.

"For breaking rule number 12 and this one is for not telling her" he replied with a smirk on his face and head-slapped him again.


	4. A memory

**Hey you guys. This is the next chapter. Thank you fr your reviews and thank you maxxy for the comment. I hope this is better then the last chapter:))Enjoy. **

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**A memory**

Ziva lost track of time and just hoped that something will happen soon. She did not get any water, or food and she desperately wanted to take a shower. The basement, with its insects and mice made her feel dirty. She did not see a rat, but was sure that in the dark spots of this awful place, there were rats, waiting for her to all asleep. _"Yeah right Ziva, and what will they do, eat you?"_ she thought and felt like she was going to vomit.

"Pull yourself together David, you can't let Barak break you." she whispered and the got up on her feet. She has been sitting for so long on the floor and she started to feel chilly. In the first few hours the Israeli tried to unlock her handcuffs, but realized quickly that they were impossible to crack. Then she tried to find a way out, but that seemed to be another dead end. The room had only one door, made out of solid steel, and the only way to open it was from the outside. The basement didn't have any windows, no chance of her to escape; she was trapped, just like a rat and the fact that she didn't have her weapons, caused her more distress. While Ziva was slowly moving in that small place she heard a different noise, not the one made by crawling creatures or little mice. It was such a discreet sound that without her training, it would have gone unnoticed. She quickly lied down and put her ear in the ground and listened. The steps very belonging to one set of feet, with other words Barak was probably visiting her, determined steps, but he walked slowly, like he wanted to enjoy the moments before he catches his pray.

Ziva stood up and smiled weakly, but she felt the fear creeping inside of her, knowing that Barak will certainly not give up, until he has what he wants. She leaned against the wall and waited for her inquisitor to come and make her pay. _"Pay, but for what? Barak was his father's best friend and deputy director David trusted him more then he trusts her. If there was a situation, or crisis, Barak would be the first on to jump in with advice_ _and in the end save the day."_ Ziva thought.

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During her time at Mossad, she blindly believed him as well, but everything changed after Barcelona. For the first time, since she knew him, Barak showed of side of him that she did not see before. She heard stories about his interrogatory methods and that he could loose his temper sometimes, also that he found new and "interesting" ways to resist interrogatories.

They were on an undercover mission in Barcelona, and had to infiltrate in an obscure terrorist group, group that had connections to Hamas. The purpose of this was, to destroy the cell on the inside. One that horrible night they were supposed to meet a man called Jose, who should give them information about the last meeting of the froup, and the list of the people present there. Barak and she waited for more then an hour, but Jose never showed up. When they decided to check up the surrounding area, they stumbled on Jose's body and a young woman crying next to it. Barak persuaded the young woman to accompany them and once back in the hotel room, he started "interrogating" her. Ziva just stood there and watched, feeling proud in a way that she could see the "master" in action. The woman was terrified and the only thing she could tell Barak that Jose was her husband and she had followed him, because she thought he was cheating on her. Next thing she knew, Jose lies dead on the ground and she tries to bring him back to his senses, thinking that he just passed out. Jose used to drink until he passed out, and this was not the first time she had found him like this.

Barak was not satisfied with the answer and started hitting the woman, although she begged him not to do it. But he could not stop, he did not want to stop, the rage that came over him, just kept on growing and he hit the young woman more, using his fists and slapping her from time to time, but most of the time aiming for her face. Ziva's face become paler by the second and she couldn't believe her eyes. This was not the method she expected. In Mossad they trained them to use all kinds of interrogatory methods, but you did not hit a man/woman, when he or she is unconscious. You just wait until they wake up and then pick up from where you left of. When Ziva convinced herself that the woman was really unconscious, she stepped in, and told Barak that it was time to stop, because it was obvious the woman did not have more information for them. The furious man did not stop however and kept on hitting the unconscious woman, and when Ziva tried to stop him with violence, he hit her. She defended herself, but Barak was and still is a massive man, and although she hated to admitted, an excellent fighter. He left a lot of bruises on her body, and when Ziva couldn't fight any more he turned around to the young woman and started kicking her. The woman was still not moving, and Ziva thought that Jose's wife just passed out. When Barak finally stopped, Ziva crawled up to her and checked her vital signs…the woman was dead. The Israeli managed to stand up and tell Barak that he had killed an innocent woman, and that she finally understands why so many people do not live to tell the tail of his interrogation skills. She called him a murderer, and even if she was trained to kill, she could never do what he just did.

Barak looked at her, surprised; he did not speak for a while, just stood there and looked at her. Ziva was beginning to lose her patient and when she demanded to hear an explanation for what he had done, Barak just left. He never came back and from that point on their roads had parted.

Although she would never have admitted it back then, Barak always had a weakness for the bad guys. Sometimes he was even macabre and when he spoke about a mass murder or a suicide bomber his eyes lit up, like he was speaking about his own son. Other people told her that her father shouldn't trust him so blindly, because Barak was only trouble. Before Barcelona she never cared about such rumors, but the dead woman in the hotel room changed everything.

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It was the first time after 4 years that he met him again. She knew that during that period, he was still her father's closest friend and that he had connections to Ari.

Now he was back and she couldn't understand why she had to pay. The steppes came closer and they stopped in front of her door. She could hear how the person standing on the other side was looking for the proper key. The sound of retelling keys made her swallow the big lump she had in her throat.

A door opened, and the light hit Ziva's face, hurting her eyes and blinding her for a few seconds. She did not see the hit, did not hear anything, everything went black.


	5. Abby panics, Jenny thinks, Gibbs acts

**Hey you guys:)) I finished another chapter...am not going to update for a couple of days. I have mid-terms this week, soooo I have to focus on that...enjoy and please review:))**

**xoxo **

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**Abby panics, Jenny thinks, Gibbs acts.**

The elevator doors opened exposing Tony and Gibbs to the music, Abby was listening at maximum volume. The Goth was jumping up and down in her lab, not paying attention to the two men.

"Abby! Abby! ABBY! " Gibbs yelled.

She turned around, and quickly turned off the music.

"Oh, Gibbs, Tony what brings you here?" Abby squeaked, jumping up and down and then racing to hug Gibbs.

After letting go to Gibbs she pulled Tony in to a tight hug.

"Abby, to tight, I can't get any air" Tony said with a smothered voice, indicating that he was in fact not getting any air.

"Sorry Tony" Soooooo what brings you here? Any forensic evidence that I have to analyze?" she asked.

"We have a situation Abby. Ziva has been kidnapped and the only thing we have is a phone call which McGee is trying to trace right now." Gibbs answered.

The Goth looked horrified, and tears were starting to build up.

She and Ziva haven't gone along to well in the beginning, but over time, Ziva started to grow on Abby. Ziva wasn't so stiff any more, when Abby pulled her in to her bone crunching hugs, she actually started to open up to Abby and reveal some of her more intimate thoughts. Slowly they became friends and the fact that her friend was kidnapped scared the living shit out of her. Losing Kate was hard on Abby and she barely recovered, losing Ziva would be something that she couldn't digest.

She looked at Tony, and felt pain, because she knew that Ziva had feelings for Tony. The Israeli never told her, but Abby noticed how Ziva looked at him, how much she enjoyed teasing him and threaten to kill him.

"Gibbs, do you have anything for me that I can work with? Any clues, fingerprints, photos, ANYTHING!?" the Goth asked with distress in her voice.

"Nope! Not yet, but this mad-man promised me that he will keep us posted on her condition. I presume he will mail us picture of her or call again." He replied.

"So what am I supposed to do Gibbs? I can't just sit here and wait until you bring me picture of a hurt Ziva or…"she paused and huge tears were running down her cheeks.

Gibbs took her in his arms and whispered

"I am not going to let that happened Abby. We will find her Abby, alive. She is strong and she will be fine."

"You promise?" asked the crying Goth?

"Yes Abby, I promise. Now I'm going to check up on McGee, said Gibbs…Tony you wait here, and help Abby somehow."

"But boss…"Tony started

"No buts Tony" Gibbs barked and moved towards the elevator.

Once Gibbs had left the lab, Abby started walking up and down and Tony sat down in a corner and glared at nothing.

"_Ziva were are you? I hope you are ok. Please fight it, get out of this and come back to me. Please!"_ he thought and trying to suppress the panic attack he was about to have.

"Abby, please stop, you are making me dizzy" Tony began in an annoyed voice.

Abby stopped and started crying again and Tony regretted that he had been mean to her. He got up from his chair and took her in his arms.

"There, there Abby! Don't cry; she will be fine. I promise." He said with a mild voice, and strokes her hair gently.

"I can't sit here Abby, I have to do something" he confessed, while letting Abby go.

"What are you going to do Tony? Gibbs said you should stay here." she asked in a soft voice, trying to fight the tears that were threatening to invade her eyes again.

"I don't know Abby, but I have to do something. I can't just sit here, while Ziva is fighting a man-man that wants her dead." He answered and move towards the elevator.

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"You got something from me McGee?" Gibbs asked, while taking another sip from his coffee.

"Boss, he called from a payphone outside Washington. I should get the exact location in a little while." McGee answered and continued typing with amazing speed on his key bored.

"Good. Let me know when you have something and for God's sake hurry up." He barked and headed off the stairs to Jenny's office.

* * *

Cynthia was taking calls as usually, but when she saw Gibbs, she tried to stop him of going in.

"Agent Gibbs, the director is having a very important phone call. I don't think you should go in." she desperately tried to stop him at the door.

"Cynthia trust me, this has priority" he said and then barged in Jenny's office.

Jen was just finishing the conversation and looked up to Jethro.

"Director I tried to stop him" Cynthia began.

"That's all right Cynthia, nothing can stop agent Gibbs when he has something to tell me." She answered with a smirk in her face.

Cynthia closed the door and Gibbs and Jen looked at each other in silence.

"So Jethro…she began with a smile on her face…what brings you to my office?

"Jen, you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you" he replied while sitting down.

"Ziva has been kidnapped, by a man who wants revenge for something. He contacted me this morning and told me that he will make Ziva pay. I don't have a name, address anything, the only thing I can do is wait for him to keep me posted on her condition." He said looking very dark and upset.

After he dropped the bomb on Jenny, silence installed itself between them. Jenny was pale and couldn't say a word. Her best friend had been kidnapped and they had no clue how to save her.

"Have you tried tracking the call?" she asked whit a weak voice.

"McGee is on it. The call was made from a payphone." He said.

"Jethro, I'm going to contact Ziva's father. Maybe he knows something about this, or has a clue against who we are dealing. "She finally said.

"Jenny do you think it's wise to involve Ziva's father in this. After all they haven't been very close and Ziva has enough enemies, I doubt her father keeps track of them." Gibbs asked.

"What am I supposed to do Jethro? I can't just sit here and do nothing." She snapped, panic could clearly be heard in her voice.

"I don't know Jen, maybe we should wait a while. Involving her father in this is a very tricky situation." He softly told her.

"I'm going to check on McGee." He continued and stood up from his chair.

"Jethro…she paused…Please keep me posted. I will me in MTAC"

He nodded and left the room.

* * *

While returning to his desk, Gibbs noticed that Tony was sitting in his chair, trying to find something to do.

"I thought I told you to stay in Abby's lab?" he barked at Tony.

"I just can't sit there and do nothing. There has to be a lead, a place that we can start with." Tony replied.

Gibbs looked at him and an idea ran trough his head.

"Tony, Ziva was out last night, observing Rogers, right?" he asked

"Yeah Boss, she went to the Hilton hotel and waited for Rogers." Tony answered in an unsure tone.

"McGee, have you already traced the call?" Tony asked.

"Yeah Tony, it's been made from a pay from on the intersection of highway 95 with 495, intersection of Baltimore Washington Pkwy with Capital Beltway" he replied, happy that they had some kind of lead.

"DiNozzo, you and McGee go to the payphone; I'm going to pay our good friend Rogers a visit." Gibbs said, while walking towards the elevator.


	6. Torture, pain, but no tears

**Hey you guys. This is the next chapter. I finished with my first exam, but more to come next week. Thank you for the wonderful reviews, I will keep on writing. I promise I will try to update. Enjoy:))**

**xoxo **

**LT. **

* * *

**Torture, pain, but no tears.**

The darkness seemed to let her go out of his tight grip. She had the impression that a bus had hit her and that the pain will kill her. Cautiously she opened her eyes, but the light blinded her, sending a bolt of pain trough her body, making her shut her eyes really fast.

Of what she could tell she was sitting on a chair, with her hands and feet tight up really good. She attempted to free her hands, but the pain was too much for her and she gave it up real fast.

" Shalom Ziva! Oh, my dear you are finally up….Barak said amused…You have been out for quite a while and I had to wait for such a long time. You know I hate to wait, I'm a very inpatient man."

"Ah, Barak, you should have paid more attention, to the Mossad training. Patience is a virtue." She replied and smiled weakly.

By now she got adjusted to the light and the pain started slowly to fade. She saw that he stood up and walked up to her. His face was close to hers, and she could smell the fine sent of tobacco.

"If I were you, I would be nice to me and talk to me like a good little girl. I would cut the sarcasm out of the conversation." He grumbled, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

He turned around and slowly walked away, so that Ziva couldn't see him any more. She looked around and noticed, that they were in a large room, probably the same warehouse, were she followed Rogers. There were no traces of furniture, just some old chains and metal pieces, but she could see that there was a table, or a chair, she could distinguish a leg belonging to a furniture piece. Ziva then heard how Barak lit up a cigarette and couldn't suppress a grin. He had told her in the past that he wanted to quit smoking and managed not to smoke trough the entire Barcelona mission.

"I see old habits die hard Barak. Don't you know that those things can kill you." she teased.

She felt the strength of his palm, when he slapped her, but she did not make a sound. She felt the blood running from her nose, but she constructed a smile and turned her face with determination.

"I am going to break you Ziva, even if you put that smile on your face." He told her angrily.

She just started laughing and answered, "Barak, I have been part of Mossad for my entire life, do you really think that you can break me that easily? What a fool you are."

Before finishing her sentence, he slapped her again. Her upper lip began to bleed, but she did not even twitch.

"I talked to your boss Ziva dearest. He said that he will kill me if I hurt you. Hmmm, I think he will not get this chance really soon. You see I found the perfect hiding-place. Nobody could ever find you here." He said with a slight hint of amusement in his voice.

"How did you know about Gibbs, and how did you get his number?" she asked.

Before finishing the question she already knew the answer. He was still her father's right hand.

"Now, Ziva I think we both know the answer to that question…he replied…I am your fathers closest friend, and it wasn't to hard to find out that you work for NCIS and that you are on Gibbs's team. Your father told me, that he contacted director Shepard when you came to America and that she assigned you to Gibbs. On top of everything I know from Ari that you have been studying agent Gibbs's file before being moved as an officer to NCIS. It wasn't very hard to make the connection; you know I am bright man."

Hearing him mention Ari's name pained her, but angered her as well. How did he dare to talk about Ari, mention his name. She knew that he had connection to Ari, but how did he know those details?

"The number I got from your phone, it wasn't too hard. You have him on speed-dial." He continued with a smirk on his face, showing her the leftover of her phone. It seemed that he had smashed it with a heavy object.

"You are probably wondering how I obtained the information from Ari? He said…Well my dear you really think that you were the only one from Mossad having contact to him. I will tell you a little secret. Mossad payment doesn't help me keep up the life-style I am used to. Selling some information to Hamas made me a rich man, and Ari was a sure ticket to that. Let's say he was a sucker that bought the old story of me protecting him, helping him out, and giving him information that he needed. I did that of course, but only small amounts, information that couldn't hurt me or my goals."

"How dare you talk about Ari like that? You tricked him, you bastard, and made him go on that path, instead of helping him to get out of it, and you dare to call yourself my father's friend." She yelled angrily.

He slapped her again and then said in a very mean voice, knowing that his words would hurt her more then any slap of his.

"My dear Ziva, I just got money, I kept him alive, but you killed him. You killed your own brother. From both of us you are the bastard. You dare call yourself your father's daughter." He answered and then started laughing, sending shivers down Ziva's spine.

"Enough with the talking, I want to hurt you. It is time to pay for your father's sins."

"Barak, what the hell are you talking about? What did my father do, to make you torture and wanting to kill me?" she asked.

"Oh you will find out soon enough my dear, but first I want to have a little fun. Let's begin shall we?" he replied.

He took a large hunting knife and ripped Ziva's tank top, leaving her only in a sports bra. Then he started to slide the knife along her skin but not pushing, just letting Ziva "get to know" the cold and sharp blade.

"Now, where should I start? You have such soft skin and I really want to see how your blood flows, see how the souls of the people you killed pour out of you." he whispered while he fixed his gaze on her arms.

He fixed the blade on her left wrist and started moving the blade up-words, leaving a thin trail of blood. Ziva did not move a muscle and he decided to push the blade against her skin harder.

He whispered to her ear "I want to hear you scream dear. You always said you were a screamer and now it's about time to prove your claim."

Ziva looked at him, confronted his eyes and Barak could see the determination in them. "I'm sorry Barak, but you're not man enough to hear me scream" she answered and giving him the biggest smile possible under these circumstances.

He looked at her, slapped again and then buried the knife deeper in to her flesh. She did not say a word, just look straight forward and began to think of the wonderful times she had since she came to America. She thought of Tony, of the undercover mission, how she got to touch him, kiss him, hold him. She closed her eyes and thought about the times he annoyed her, but how much she enjoyed it. The pain started to grow on her but she ignored it, even though Barak was cutting deeper in to her flesh. She could feel the blood pouring on to her bra, but she knew that the silent treatment was the best way to fight this.

"You know Barak you are actually something that they call her in America a pussy. You are so afraid that I am going to kill you if you had to face me, so you decided to handcuff me, and then tie me up to a chair. Pathetic I have to say, but I never expected something more from you. After I saw you killing that woman in Barcelona, I knew that you were a coward." She provoked him with amusement in her voice.

Next thing she knew was that the blood was flowing more intensely down her skin and then she felt the whole power of his fist, against her nose. Blood started to flow heavily, but the only thing she did was to spit the blood that was somehow invading her mouth.

"You don't talk to me like that, you whore. I am not going to stop hurting you and I am actually enjoying this. By talking like this, you are just making your situation worst and increasing my pleasure." He countered her verbal attack.

He then moved his knife to the other arm and started the process all over again. Ziva did not move again, or complain. She looked actually very calm, like she was meditating. The pain became more intense and she wanted to scream out loud, but she would not grant Barak this pleasure. She thought again of Tony, of the way he spoke her name out loud, she thought of Gibbs and the way he head-slapped her. Her thoughts shifted to McGee and the way he made her feel welcomed, when she joined the team, and then of Abby, the woman she called her friend. The Goth knew about the feelings she was having for Tony, she never asked her about it, she never mentioned it, but Abby was always giving her some advice in connection to this so called "emotional problem". Then her mind flew to Ducky and the way he always had a story to tell, or Jenny who always had the answer to her unspoken questions.

"Ziva dear, has the cat got your tongue? Please speak, scream, beg." He challenged her. But she remained silent, and he continued cutting more and deeper then before.

He threw away the knife and started hitting her face and screaming "Beg, I say, beg!"

The pain was enormous, she passed out, but he did not let her in that state. Barak threw a bucket of water and Ziva came to her senses only to endure the blows again. She let out a small moan when Barak decided that her face was mutilated enough and moves his fists to her ribs.

A grotesque smile covered his face when he heard her moan, and said to her triumphal; "See Ziva it's not that hard, you give me what I want, and I give you nothing." The man started laughing and continued hitting her. After a while he stopped only to look at her. She was fighting the darkness that threatened to swallow her. Ziva did not want to pass out, because she was afraid that he will mutilate her more or worst, rape her, the only thing she was really afraid of. The sound of a cigarette being lit and the intense light of a camera flash was the last thing she saw before the darkness claimed her.


	7. It's all my fault

**Hey guys! Here is the next chapter. I kind of suffer from writersblock...Please review:))**

**xoxo LT **

* * *

It's all my fault

The silence in the car was almost painful for both Tony and McGee. Although neither one of them verbalized their concern, one could easily see that they were thinking about Ziva. McGee looked up to Tony once in a while, trying to figure out what his partner was thinking and at the same time seeking reassurance that the Israeli will be ok. But there was nothing in Tony's face that could make McGee fell better. The senior field agent's face was blank, drained of any drop of expression and Tim could not figure out what Tony was actually thinking.

McGee remembered when Ziva came to NCIS for the first time. When he was told that she is Mossad and could kill a person with a paperclip, the only thing that he could do was to pray not to piss her off in any way. After she became a liaison agent at NCIS, he started to trust her more, sometimes confide in her and be thankful that she was in some way his allied against Tony's remarks and pranks.

He was worried, although sure that Ziva could take care of herself and he was annoyed that they did not have a solid lead.

"We should be there in a couple of minutes, Tony" McGee said

"Aham" Tony replied, while he was killing his brain trying to figure out a way to help Ziva. He did not want to admit it to himself, because the blame was killing him, but all this mess was his fault.

* * *

**Flashback**

"_Hey Tony, do you have plans tonight? She teased with amusement in her voice._

"_Why do you ask Zee-vah? He smirked…Are you going to make me an offer I can't refuse?_

"_No Tony, I am not going to make an offer you can't refuse. You have plans, yes?"_

"_Because you ask so nicely my answer is yes I have plans, I am going on a hot date." He replied with a grin in his face_

"_Is she real or imaginary?" she said with amusement._

"_She is very real and nice, and we are going to that nice Pizza-place if you care to know. He paused and then continued …But what is the little trained assassin up to tonight?_

"_She has to observe a suspect, Rogers to be more precise. Gibbs answered…And you are going with her Tony._

"_No can do boss, I have plans tonight" Tony said, showing Gibbs his famous DiNozzo smile._

"_Do you think I give a damn of your plans DiNozzo?"_

"_Gibbs I am a grown woman and I can take care of myself perfectly. Besides, I don't want him to come with me, because I have to take care of him as well." She said._

_Gibbs only nodded and then went for yet another coffee break._

**End of Flashback**

* * *

It was only his fault, he let her down again and now she is in trouble because of him. _"What was I thinking to go on a date with Kendra, when I could have spent a whole evening with Ziva???"_ he thought _Now she is in danger because of me, she may die, and I have no idea how to stop it. This is my fault. This is my all fault."_

"This is all my fault." He said out loud.

"What did you say Tony?" McGee asked

"This whole situation is all my fault probie. If I would have gone along, instead of going on that stupid date last night, Ziva would not be in this mess." He replied with pain in his voice.

"You had no way of knowing Tony. Besides she did not want you to go with her. Remember she said, she doesn't want to take care of you."

"Thanks probie, you're a big help." He grumbled.

McGee went quit after this sarcastic remark from his partner. He just wanted to make him feel better and not beat himself up like that. From one point of view it was entirely Tony's fault. The inner Don Juan had to kick in and go on that date, instead of helping Ziva, like Gibbs instructed him. Tony knew how important this mission was and yet he decided to have dinner with another brainless woman.

McGee was torn out of his thoughts by the sudden stop of the car. They had arrived to the phone booth, a deserted place in the middle of nowhere.

"Ok probie, let's see if we can get something out of this place. Start looking for fingerprints in the booth, and I am going to check up the surroundings."

"On it boss…I mean Tony" McGee said ashamed that he called Tony boss once again.

Tony couldn't suppress a grin; he loved it when McGee called him boss.

DiNozzo turned his face and observed the surroundings, all the time having the impression he was stuck in some kind of movie. There was the phone booth, the highway, some trees, and gas station located not far from the place they were standing.

He slowly walked towards the gas station, hoping he could find somebody, who saw something, anything.

"Where you going Tony?" McGee asked

"To ask some question" he replied.

Tony entered the almost deserted gas station and found an old man sitting on a rotten old chair.

"Who are you and what you want?" the man asked

"Special agent DiNozzo, NCIS. I'm here to ask you a few questions."

"NCIS? Your some kind of FBI, right? The man spit and looked at Tony with amusement mixed with disgust.

Tony rolled his eyes and just nodded; he was not in the mood to get in to a discussion about the meaning of NCIS. He looked at the man's nametag and said "So Earl, have you been here the whole day?"

Earl looked at the senior field agent and spit in the trashcan next to Tony.

"Okkkkkk, I take that as a yes. He began…Have you seen a man at that phone booth, sometime during the morning?"

"Yup, I did." Earl replied and spit again.

A shiver went up Tony's spine. There was actually somebody here that saw the man who captured Ziva.

"Could you describe him for me Earl? He asked while preparing to take notes. When was that exactly?"

"I don't really know my boy. There are a lot of people stopping here and this place has been full today. I did not have time to look outside. I just saw a man pulling his car next to the phone both, talking on the phone and then driving away." Earl answered.

"Did you see the car? What kind of a car was it? Tony asked excited.

But Earl's response was disappointing. The car was a black sedan with black windows, he couldn't see the exact license plate, or the man's face nothing that could be of any help. Tony thought for a moment that he was closer to finding Ziva, but his hopes were shattered and he had nothing, except a black sedan.

He went outside, more frustrated and angry then before. How the hell was he supposed to find the woman he loved, when there was no lead? He looked around; hoping some kind of clue would pop-up, something to help him out. "_Why isn't there a sign saying: your next clue is here, or maybe follow the yellow brick road?"_ he thought and kicked the dust Then he noticed, to his surprise, that the gas station was being supervised, by a state of the art video camera. He quickly walked back in and looked up to Earl, who was sitting at the counter now.

"I didn't know you were supervising this place?" he began

"Well, ya know, I have to take car of business somehow." Earl replied, while looking for a bucket to spit.

"Earl, better hand me over today's tape. Tony began…Better make it for yesterday as well."

Earl face stayed rigid, and he did not make a move towards getting them.

"What do you want with them?" he finally asked

"Let's say Earl that it's none of your business, and at the moment you are interfering with a federal investigation. I could get you behind bars for this." Tony smiled.

Hearing the word bars, Earl swallowed heavily and went to get the tapes. After a short while he returned with precious objects, and the senior field agent smiled and walked out of the gas station.

McGee was collecting fingerprints from the phone booth, after he bagged and tagged every grain of sand. He saw Tony coming and yelled out.

"I'm almost done Tony."

"Take your time probie. I got us some video tapes to watch. It seems our little phone booth was visited by a man in a black sedan." DiNozzo exhaled. "I'm going to sketch this place and then we're done."

Both men worked in quiet, and after finishing their work, they headed back to headquarters, hoping that the videotapes could reveal who the mad man was.

McGee hoped that Abby could find a match for the fingerprints. The phone both was full of then and he hoped that one of them would match Ziva's kidnapper.

Tony wasn't so sure about that. From what he could figure out, the man was careful and he probably wore glows. He just hoped Gibbs had more luck.


	8. I'm going to break every bone in his

**OK, it seems that I am still able to write something:)) Please tell me if you like it.**

**xoxo**

**LT **

* * *

**I'm going to break every bone in his body**

Gibbs arrived at the hotel and was heading towards the reception. He wanted to find Rogers bring him back to headquarters and use old torture methods on him making him spill everything he knew.

"How may I help you monsieur?" the French receptionist asked him

Gibbs flashed his badge and look at the funny man. He was not very tall, had a tiny mustache and looked intimidated.

"I'm looking for a guest. Mr. Rogers is his name, he stayed at your hotel last night." He said.

"A, monsieur Rogers. Oui, he stayed with us for a night, but he checked out about an hour ago." The funny man replied.

Gibbs murmured something and then looked at the man again.

"You were on duty last night?" Gibbs looking around and hoping that his new French friend would have some kind of information.

"I'm sorry monsieur; I just came in the morning. My collage, Mr. Dupoi worked last night, and if you wait a moment I could fetch him for you. I presume he is still here." The man hissed and disappeared before Gibbs could say anything. After a few minutes the receptionist and Mr. Dupoi appeared.

"Bonjour monsieur. I'm Mr. Dupoi, how can I help you?" he asked Gibbs.

Dupoi was the exact opposed of the receptionist, he was tall and rather round with a large mustache and a long beard. Also from what Gibbs could see, Dupoi was growing bold by the second. He smiled and looked at both of them, explaining to Dupoi that he was looking for Mr. Rogers.

"Did Mr. Rogers leave the hotel last night?"

"I'm sorry monsieur, but I can't give you that information. You see our hotel is well known for its privacy." The fat man replied.

"Monsieur Dupoi, this is a federal investigation. I could send you directly to jail, if you refuse to give me the information." Gibbs said, making the threat freeze Dupoi's blood.

"Perhaps I can make an exception this time." Dupoi answered while swallowing the huge lump in his throat.

Gibbs smiled and Dupoin continued with his declaration.

"Monsieur Rogers left our hotel around 2 o'clock in the morning after enjoying the company of a lowly lady. A limousine was waiting outside for him and they headed north. That is all that I know."

"Was he alone and was it a private limousine or a rented one?" Gibbs asked.

"Indeed Mr. Rogers was alone when he left the hotel, and we made arrangements for the limousine, but he insisted on his very own driver, a rather large fellow full of tattoos, going by the name of Joe. The limousine was rented from Arash Limousines.

Gibbs thanked the two French man and left.

* * *

Back at the office, McGee and Tony were watching the video from the gas station. They had sent everything they found, except the tapes, to Abby, hoping that she would find something. The footage was not very clear, and they did not show too much of the man. From what they could see the car was a black Chevy and they were sure that Abby would find a way to uncover the license plate. 

However the man remained a mystery to both of them. He was wearing a long black coat, hiding away any clue of his body shape, a black hat and shades, and how they already suspected he wore glows.

The noise of the elevator doors made them snap out of the observation and look at Gibbs.

"What do you got for me?" he asked

"We have a videotape of the man that called. It's at the same time you were called and from the same place, so we presume it is our man. However we can't distinguish any features, because he is very well covered." McGee posted and then went to his computer.

"We have a car, and we presume that it's a Chevy, but Abby might tell us more, and hopefully can make out the license plate. The rest of the evidence is downstairs, in the lab." Tony added.

Gibbs looked at the video tape, his face filled with worry. _"The guy is cautious. He doesn't want to e noticed and he knew that we will come this far."_ Gibbs thought.

"McGee, get this to Abby"

"On it boss. Oh boss, something was delivered to you. Some letters to be more exact." McGee added.

Gibbs expression went from worried to dark.

"Did you opened it McGee?" he asked

"Well…no boss. It's your mail." He replied with an unsure voice

Tony was sitting lost in his thoughts, but when he heard that Gibbs received letters, he felt his stomach sliding down his feet. The bastard holding Ziva said he will keep them posted. He stood up from his chair and walked towards Gibbs who was already opening the letters.

Gibbs face expressed pure anger, while he was looking at the photos contained in the envelope.

"THAT BATSARD!" Gibbs yelled, making most of the agents look up from their desks. Gibbs dropped the photos and the small note on his desk and went up to MTAC.

From the stairs he yelled "McGee, Tony get those pictures and the tapes to Abby. NOW!"

McGee picked up the pictures and looked at them. His stomach was turning and he was one step away from exposing his breakfast. He sat down and looked at Tony. Finally he said with a trembling voice.

"He is mad!"

Tony took the pictures from McGee's hand and glared at them. He saw 2 pictures, one of them showing an unconscious Ziva, tied up to a chair. Blood flowing out of her nose and the corner of her mouth, and her right eye was swollen. Those weren't the injuries that made Tony almost let out a scream. He then noticed that she was wearing a sports bra and that her arms were covered in blood. The other picture was of her lying on a dirty floor and he could see that her abdomen was injured as well. A small note was attached to the photos. Tony unfolded the note and read it "**Tick Tack! Time is running out. I'm having so much fun and I will break her, and then enjoy seeing her die. The sins must be paid in blood."**

Tony felt like he was nailed to the floor. He had never seen Ziva like that, so vulnerable, hurt and broken. Time seemed to stop and there was only him and the photos of Ziva. He did not notice that McGee was talking to him, he did not notice the yelling voice of Gibbs, and he just felt the anger building up in him. He saw his boss looking at him, talking to him, but he couldn't understand a word. Gibbs head-slapped him and time seemed to go back to its normal path but the anger was still there. Tony took the tapes from McGee's desk and turned to face Gibbs.

Finally he spoke and the tone in which he said does words made Gibbs shiver.

"I'm going to break every bone in his body."

He left heading towards the elevator and Abby's lab.


	9. Got him

**Hey you guys...Here is the next chapter and I really hope you like it:)) Thank you for the great reviews:))**

**xoxo**

**LT **

* * *

**Got him**

Tony hit the emergency button while he was going to see Abby. He couldn't any more, he couldn't stand it and he needed to punch something. He hit the metal wall of the elevator many times, making small craters in the metal. Finally he stopped, not because of the anger going away, because his hand was hurting and he could see blood flowing. He pushed the button again and the elevator continued his glide towards Abby's lab.

When the elevator doors opened, the music hit him and he saw that the Goth was sucking on her Caf-Pow with all her strength. She suddenly turned around and saw Tony's decomposed face, so she rushed to turn of the music.

Cautiously she headed towards him noticing the bloody hand and in the other one the envelope and the tapes.

"T…Tony! What happened to your hand? What's wrong, your face is…" she couldn't finish the sentence; she just walked up to him and took the evidence from his hand. He stood there without articulating any word, just staring in to the nothing. Suddenly he snapped out of his state, when he heard Abby crying. He saw her face, full of shock, the huge tears in her eyes and the hand covering her mouth. His mouth was dry and he didn't know what to say, but he heard himself saying like in a dream.

"Gibbs wants you to look at the tapes. We have our suspect there but we can't make up his face, he's to well covered. But we have a car and we need the registration plate. It's at a strange angle, and we can't see a thing, but maybe you can make more if it. Also try to find any clues from the pictures and the letter."

Everything sounded like a robot has said it and not him, he was too shocked, in too much pain and he was worried.

Abby just nodded while, tears were running down her face. Tony wanted to comfort her, but he couldn't find the words. He was not only able to comfort himself, how the hell would he manage to do that for Abby.

"Abby don't cry, we will find her and I promise you I will make that son of a bitch pay." He said showing a weak and false smile. Abby nodded and then came to hug him. He never expected that hug to have such a positive effect on him. He stroked the Goth's hair and then parted from the hug, whipping the tears from her face.

"You go and do what you are best at and I am going to see Ducky. Please Abs, hurry up." He whispered

She nodded and turned away from him, releasing the music upon her lab. Tony headed towards the morgue, to get his hand fixed, but he couldn't suppress a smile seeing Abby running around the lab, doing her thing.

* * *

"McGee I want you to call Arash Limousine and find out if the car is still used by Rogers. If it's still used put a BOLO on it." Gibbs barked

"On it boss."

"I also want you to check out Rogers account, see if any large deposits or transfers have been made. Intercept his call, do anything so we can track this guy down and nail him." The boss-man screamed.

The phone on Gibbs's desk rang and to his relief it was not the kidnapper, it was Ducky.

"Jethro, I just wanted to inform you that Tony is here with me. He had a little accident and I had to take care of him." The Scotsman said.

"What did he do this time?" Gibbs asked, trying not to sound too annoyed.

"Well it appears he had a conflict with the elevator. Let's say his hand needed a little bit of repairing."

"Ducky, keep him there until he cools off. I can't do anything with him here if he is in that state." Gibbs hangs up the phone and moves towards MTAC.

* * *

"Jethro do we have anything new?" she asked with distress in her voice.

"Not at the moment. McGee is pulling everything out about Rogers; Abby is working on the evidence, and we hope that she can make out something of the license plate." He answered while taking another sip from his coffee.

"How is Tony? What is he doing?"

"Well at the moment he's kind of locked up in the morgue. Ducky took care of him." He replied

"Jethro, what happened to Tony? Is he injured?"

"Let's say he had a disagreement with the elevator." Smiling at Jen and taking another sip from his coffee.

"Were your contacts able to provide us with some info?" He asked and saw how she sadly shook her head.

"I have nothing yet, and am very tempted to call Deputy Director David."

"Jen we talked about this. Let's wait a little longer, ok? We still don't know who our suspect is and there is no reason to involve Mossad in this." He said with softness in his voice.

Jen was close to crying "But he is her father. He needs to know that his daughter might be die."

Gibbs took her arms and looked at her.

"She will not die Jen. Ziva is a strong woman and one of my best agents, she will live trough this and we will find her. I promise. I'm going to check on McGee and on Abby. One of them has to have something for me." He said, squeezing Jenny's hands.

* * *

While moving downstairs he could hear McGee talking on the phone, and couldn't suppress a grin. McGee was handling himself well in case of a crisis.

"Boss, Abby called. She said you should go downstairs, because she got something for you." he quickly exhaled while typing something on his keyboard again.

"Thank you Tim." He said and then walked towards the elevator.

McGee was surprised by the fact he had been called by his first name.

* * *

Two hours later, Tony made his way up to the office. Staying with Ducky in the morgue made him regain control over himself, but he still wanted to kill the guy who hurt Ziva. Every time he closed his eyes he could see her fragile figure, covered in bruises and blood.

The guilt invaded his mind once more and he felt so useless. When the elevator doors opened Gibbs walked in and ordered Tony to stay put. Gibbs hit the emergency button and looked at Tony's face and then at his hand.

"McGee put a BOLO on Rogers's limousine and Abby has something for us. We will find her Tony and yes I will let you break his bones, and I swear I am going to help you." Gibbs said in a soft voice.

"Boss, it's all my fault. I should have been with her in that car and not in the Pizzeria with the flower-shop girl. If she di.." he couldn't finish the sentence.

The head-slap came, without Tony expecting it. He looked at Gibbs, and the only thing he could see in his eyes was a sort of fatherly care.

"Stop blaming yourself, you can't do anything now. She will not die, because I did not give her permission to die." He said and smiled weakly.

"Thanks boss." Tony replied, looking at Gibbs who was hitting the emergency button again.

Once in Abby's lab, both of them were hoping for some good news.

"Gibbs, Tony! Abby squeaked… I have news for you."

The bad news is that the envelope, pictures and the note do not contain any information, not something that can help us to much. There are no fingerprints, no hair, and no saliva nothing. In others words the guy is goooood. The note is written with a computer but the interesting thing is that I found traces of tobacco. Our kidnapper is a smoker."

"That's all good Abs, but how will this help us?" Tony asked with distress in his voice "Well for the tobacco I still need some time; but I will be able in a couple of hours to find out what brand of tobacco it is and where it was made. That way we can see from where Ziva's enemy is." She said while jumping up and down.

"Ok Abby, that's all good and nice, but I don't think you dragged me all the way here for some traces of tobacco." Gibbs said while looking at the overactive Goth.

"Gibbs don't you know me better. Of course I have something for you.

Tony, remember that you asked me to make the license plate of the car visible?"

Tony only nodded and felt how excitement was taking over.

"It was partially visible so I decided to zoom in and then play a little bit with the saturation and the brightness of the footage. I managed to get the license plate number, actually just one part of it, one number was missing, but I introduced it in to the computer and I got a match in the end. The black Chevy belongs to… She paused… James Rogers, Blueberry Street, number 47." She said while exposing the biggest smile she had in her arsenal.

Both men kissed her on the cheek and made their way up.

* * *

Back in the office, Gibbs ordered McGee to gear up and Tony to gas the car.

Gibbs drove like a mad man, hurrying to Rogers's house. He will make him pay for Ziva and for the dead marine. After breaking at least a dozen rules and making Tony and McGee wish that Ziva would be there, driving instead of Gibbs, they finally stopped in front of a beautiful Victorian house.

The three men went up to the porch of the house and Gibbs range the doorbell. After a couple of minutes a small woman came to answer the door. She was short, dressed in a uniform and all three of them suspected that she was the maid. They all flashed their badges and McGee asked for Rogers.

The woman explained them, that they have just missed him.

"Madam could you please tell us where your boss went?' Tony asked

"He asked me to pack his bags, because he is going on a long trip. He paid my salary for two months in advanced, and told me that I should keep the house nice and tidy. I think he said that his flight leaves at 5 PM. from the Ronald Reagan Airport." She answered.

McGee looked at his watch. They had 45 minutes to get there.

"Boss we are never going to make it." McGee exhaled frustrated.

Gibbs picked up his phone and turned from the other two agents and the amazed woman.

"Thank you madam." McGee said.

Gibbs finished the conversation and came up to the two agents. His face was worried but a smile was visible on the corner of his mouth.

"We have 45 minutes to get there, and director Shepard is shutting down the airport as we speak. Rogers is trapped there, but we still have to hurry up."

* * *

In MTAC

"Mr. Simons, I am asking for a favor." Jenny said.

"Whit what may I be of some assistance to the director of NCIS?" he flirtatiously asked.

"We need you to shut down the Ronald Reagan Airport, now. Nobody should be allowed to leave, no plane, no human, no animal, NO ONE!"

"Director, do you have a reason for this shut down? You know I can't do what I please, without a solid reason." His smile disappearing from his face.

Mr. Simons you do not need to know the reason why I am asking you this, you just need to shut down the airport. Three agents are on their way as we speak" She said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Very well director, but you owe me." He smiled

Jenny made a sign and the discussion was terminated. She was not in the mood of MTAC flirting, she had work to do and prayed that Gibbs and the other two agents would get there on time.

* * *

Tony saw his entire life flashing by. The first day of school, the first kiss, the first…well the first everything and then Ziva. He just prayed that he could live to see her again; because the manner Gibbs was driving he was not sure if he and McGee would survive this.

"A boss, don't you think you should slow down. You might get a speeding ticket." He began

"Gibbs looked at him in the mirror and Tony knew that he was mentally head-slapped.

"I'll be quiet." He hissed.

The car came to a sudden stop and Tony almost got parachuted to the front of the car. He quickly managed to get out of the car and follow the two other agents.

Gibbs flashed his badge to the security guards blocking the entrance to the airport, and the all three of them stepped inside.

"McGee you check the right wing, Tony the left one. You know what you should do if you find Rogers." He said while moving to the heart of the airport.

"And Tony, I want him alive." He barked again.

The airport was crowed, and all three agents had a difficult time spotting anything,

McGee made it to the VIP lounge of the airport and then he saw Rogers standing next to a massive man. He made his way trough the large amount of people and when he finally got to the place where Rogers was supposed to be, he noticed that the suspect and the large man were gone. McGee called Gibbs, telling him that he found Rogers but he disappeared, that he was probably with his bodyguard and that the two are probably somewhere in the VIP lounge.

Gibbs, thanked the receptionist he was talking to and was heading toward the VIP lounge, when a large man bumped in to him. Gibbs looked at the man and then noticed that the large man was not alone, he was accompanied by a man wearing glasses.

"Rogers!" Gibbs yelled.

The man seemed to hesitate for a second but then kept on walking. In that second Gibbs knew he found his suspect and yelled again.

"Hold it right there Rogers!"

The man stopped this time and slowly turned around to face Gibbs. Silence reigned in the airport and all eyes were on the NCIS agent and the man looking at him. Gibbs walked over and wanted to handcuff Rogers, but the large man stepped in and put himself between the agent and his boss.

"Move out of the way." Gibbs said, but the man did not move an inch.

"Joe I warn you, step away and you will not be hurt." Gibbs repeated in a low voice.

Joe seemed to hesitate for a second, but then he swung his fist towards Gibbs's face. The agent ducked the hit and pulled his sig. Joe looked at him and smiled, quickly drawing a gun, and holding it against Gibbs's torso.

Tony and McGee, who were on the upper level of the airport, saw the scene and made their way down, to help Gibbs.

"Put the gun down Joe. I don' want to hurt you, I just need a word with your boss." He said.

But there was no movement from Joe's side and he just kept on pointing the gun towards Gibbs. The sound of the gun being loaded was clearly heard and the next thing Gibbs noticed was that Joe cried out in pain and hit the floor, holding his leg. Gibbs turned around and saw McGee holding his gun, and smiling nervously.

Rogers who was hiding behind Joe all of the time, wanted to escape, but Tony grabbed him and Gibbs handcuffed him.


	10. Speak I say

**Hey guys! I'm soooo sorry that I did nit update sooner...Been really stressed with finals:))...I hope you like this chapter...please review...enjoy:)**

* * *

**Speak I say.**

Five hours have passed since Rogers was in interrogation with none other then Gibbs. The first hour was relatively quite, Rogers did not say a word and Gibbs seemed to be more the patient. Rogers asked for a lawyer, but naturally Gibbs told him in very "mild" words that he would not get anything. From that point on the suspect went quiet and the agent was just staring at him.

The second hour from the three that already passed, Gibbs seemed to be slightly losing his temper. He asked the man question, after question but Rogers still refused to say anything. Hour number three came with the same result, silence from Rogers, and signs of annoyance from Gibbs, and by the time hour four came the boss-man decided it was time for a coffee refill, while Tony and McGee were keeping an eye on the only link they had to Ziva. Now here they were, after five hours, Gibbs out at yet another coffee break while Tony and McGee were waiting impatient for a cosmic miracle that would make Rogers talk.

"How long do you think it's going to take Gibbs to break him?" McGee asked and looked again through the glass panel.

"Not long probie, not very long. But I would like to be in there for a couple of minutes and make him talk." The prompt answer came from DiNozzo.

"What can you do? Gibbs is the best one when it comes to interrogations."

"Wrong probie! Ziva is the best when it comes to finding out the truth from the suspect. She will just look at you and you would tell her what you had for breakfast and how often you go to the bathroom." Said Tony and then decided to stop talking or even think about her. It hurt him, because even if he tried to suppress it, he knew it was his fault that Ziva was trapped.

"_Hang on sweet checks, I am going to find you, just hold on for me!"_ he thought while he grew impatient.

"Ok probie, that's it, I'm going in." he barked at Tim.

"Are you nuts? Gibbs will have your head for this." The voiced of McGee began.

"It's better to be beheaded then sit here and wait for a miracle."

Tony made his way towards the entrance of the interrogation room. He was determined to make Rogers talk, even if that would mean, breaking every bone in his body and then claiming it was self defense.

"Where do you think you are going?" a rugged voice asked.

"I…I…I…I was trying to make him talk boss." The quick answer came.

"And how are you going to do that DiNozzo? Beat him up, until he talks?"

Tony hated it, when Gibbs was reading his mind, so he did the mist natural thing possible….he lied.

"Boss, you know me, I am as nice as a lamb. I wouldn't hurt a fly." And gave his boss the famous DiNozzo smile.

"Back in to the observation room DiNozzo. It's not your time yet." He replied and smirked.

"But boss…" Tony whined

"No buts Tony, your turn is later."

* * *

Gibbs entered the room and Tony marched furiously back to observation, trying to hide his disappointment.

When he got back, McGee gave him a huge smile and was about to say something when Tony shushed him.

Both men were looking at the glass window, waiting for their boss to bring the suspect down.

"Are you done with the silence?" he asked while putting a cup of coffee in front of the suspect.

Rogers just looked at him, whit a cocky smile and pushed the coffee away.

"Ok then no coffee." He exhaled and sat down in front of the silent man.

"We can do it the hard way or the easy way. Your choice!"

"Ha Ha Ha! What is your hard way? You know I can have a lawyer that can bring your ass in jail, so fast that you wouldn't even notice." He smiled and glared at the calm agent, waiting to see if his words had any effect on him.

"Are you done?" the dry answer came, while he took of his jacket and continued the interrogatory.

"I see you picked the hard way. He continued…Take a look at these! Do you recognize the guy in these pictures?"

A set of pictures revealed a bloody body, whiteout a head. Another snapshot revealing the severed head of a man. Rogers looked at them, without any hint of being disturbed by the awful site.

"What about these? What is your intention by showing me these pictures? I have never seen this person in my life." Rogers spoke.

"I am trying to see if you are a cold blooded killer or an idiot for lying to me." Gibbs answered.

"And your conclusion is, agent Gibbs?" he asked, revealing a hideous smirk.

"Both Rogers, you are a cold blooded killer and the biggest idiot possible. Now tell me, why did you kill him? Was he so important to you, that you had to kill him?" Gibbs asked while he was growing impatient, by the lack of communication shown by his suspect.

"I did not kill him. I already told you." Rogers replied.

"WRONG!...Gibbs yelled…Rogers why did you kill him?

No answer from Rogers just a stubborn silence.

"Was it money Rogers? Gibbs began… Or was it because of a woman? Did the poor patty officer sleep with your girlfriend? No I actually doubt that. Was it a random pick Mr. Rogers? Patty officer Nelson, did not work for you, but he really must have pissed you off so he can get himself beheaded."

Again silence filled the room, when Gibbs stopped talking. He knew that he would make the man talk, but he was sick of this game, Rogers was playing. Every minute he spend, holding on to his claimed innocence, meant a couple of minutes less for Ziva. Gibbs looked at Rogers, who looked him back in the eyes, whit a witty smile on his face.

"_Smile while you can Rogers, but do I have a surprise for you."_ Gibbs thought, while he stood up from the chair and walked out of the room.

* * *

He entered the observation room and looked at his two agents.

"Boss, this one won't crack." McGee said with distress in his voice.

"Oh, he'll talk all right, I have a little surprised for him. Until I get back, DiNozzo move your ass in there and try your luck." Gibbs barked.

"On it boss." The senior field agent replied, with a cruel smirk on his face.

Gibbs grabbed him by the shoulder and whispered "Tony, let him live. I want Rogers alive and well so he can enjoy my little surprise."

Tony felt a shiver going down his spine, when Gibbs spoke those words. He just nodded and left.

* * *

"McGee…Gibbs began…I told you to look in to Rogers's bank account. Did you find anything out?"

"As a matter a fact I did boss." Probie answered with pride in his voice.

"And when did you intend to tell me about this, McGee?" the boss-man asked with annoyance in his voice.

McGee blushed slightly and was about to apologize, when Gibbs cut him off. "What did you find out? Tell me, don't apologize."

"Right, sorry boss…I mean, I looked in to Rogers account and I saw that a large transfer was made. From a foreign bank account to the one Rogers owns. Rogers received two days ago 30 million dollars."

"Do we know where he got the money from?" Gibbs asked.

"Unfortunately, the bank account is very well protected, by system that I was not able to crack. It would take me a large amount of time, if it is possible to crack this system." The prompt response came.

"Well what are you waiting for McGee? An invitation? Move you ass and break that system, I want to know who the generous person is?" Gibbs yelled.

McGee ran out of the observation room, while Gibbs went to the morgue.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tony had taken off his coat and was sitting in front of Rogers. They did not exchange any words, and Tony seemed to be patient. He looked at the pictures, scattered in front of Rogers and said "WOW! You really have balls to do something like that….I mean cutting a guys head off, isn't easy. How did you do it? "

Silence again, Rogers did not mind Tony speaking, he just stared at the glass wall behind Tony.

"What did you do to him first, Rogers? Hit him with something; get him unconscious first so he can't complain of the pain?" Tony continued.

"Like I told agent Gibbs, I have never seen this man in my life before, and I did not kill him." Rogers countered Tony's attack. He was getting impatient and the past hours where starting to let a mark on his nerves.

"You know what? You're lying and I know you killed this man." Tony trailed away.

"And how is that agent DiNozzo? How do you know I am lying to you?" Rogers asked, now clearly annoyed of this whole situation.

"The average person, who would see a picture of a beheaded man, for the first time, even if they didn't know the person, would have a different reaction then the one you had. You see, even men twitch when they see something this bloody, some of them feel the urge to vomit but in your case nothing like this happened."

"I am a resistant man, I don't get easily frightened or sick by such things." The argument came quickly from Rogers's side.

"Now Rogers, I think it would be the right time to stop lying. You hid like a scared little girl behind Joe in the airport. Don't tell me, that you don't even twitch when you see a beheaded man, while you were almost shitting your pants a couple hours ago." Tony yelled at the suspect.

The Italian started walking in the room, trying to get a grip on himself again. He hated being lied to, and he hated that this bastard was playing with Ziva's life.

He turned back, to face Rogers and asked in a low in a threatening voice. "Why did you kill Nelson?"

Silence again and Tony could feel the rage growing inside him. He was trying to suppress the anger, like he tried when he saw the pictures of Ziva. It was way passed midnight by now, and he was tiered, stressed and worried as hell.

He slammed his hands against the hard surface of the table and saw how Rogers twitched. "WHY DID YOU KILL HIM? WHO PAYED YOU TO KILL HIM?"

Again nothing, but Tony could feel it that Rogers was very close to cracking, and he would break him, until he would tell him everything.

Right at that moment, Gibbs walked in and looked at the two men. He could see that Tony was angry and that Rogers was nervous and clearly uncomfortable with Tony in the room. He smiled weakly and looked at his agent, the calmly said "DiNozzo, in observation, now. I will be there with you in a couple of minutes."

Tony wanted to protest, tell Gibbs that he was about to break him, but Gibbs facial expression told him that he should do what he was told. He grabbed his coat from the chair and went out.

Gibbs set down in front of Rogers and looked him deep in the eyes. No words were said, but Rogers was now more uncomfortable near to Gibbs then to Tony.

The agent lifted a bag, which he had when he walked in, but nobody had noticed and placed it on the table.

The suspect became more attentive, and when Gibbs opened the plastic bag, one might said that Rogers was actually curious and eager to find out what the content of the bag was.

But when the NCIS agent put Nelson's severed head on the table, Rogers started screaming and just jumped from the chair. His back hit the wall behind him and just stared at the bluish head.

"Are you going to tell me now, why you killed him?" Gibbs asked.

With a trembling voice Rogers replied…"For for for money. I killed him for money."

"Glad we have a motive for the crime, but I still need the name of your employer, Rogers." Gibbs replied.

"No, no, no! I can't tell you that, I won't tell you that." He replied, while still glaring at the head.

"Very well then. I will let you have a nice talk with petty officer Nelson and I will be back. Hopefully you will be more willing to talk then." Gibbs said and then left the room.

* * *

After about an hour Gibbs and Tony walked in to the interrogation room, to find Rogers sitting in the fetal position in one corner of the room. He was mumbling something about being sorry and that he would never do it again.

Gibbs kneeled in front of him and asked: "Who hired you to kill the petty officer?"

Rogers looked at the two men and then at the head, still lying on the table. One word came out of his mouth, one word that filled Rogers with terror. "Barak!"

He returned to his state and did not answer any other question but, both men knew that they have probably got the man that was holding Ziva hostage.


	11. Shall we dance?

**Hey guys! Thank you again for the reviews...Here is the next chapter...enjoy:))**

**xoxo LT **

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**Shall we dance?  
**

The floor on which she was laying was hard and cold, but so welcome for her swollen face. The pain in her nose, and lip was becoming bearable, but she was afraid that the cut wounds on her arms could become infected. After all she was not lying in the cleanest place possible. Now more then ever she wished she could rest in a clean bed, get some sleep and medication for the pain in her torso. _"I doubt that bastard broke a rib…well I hope he didn't break anything. I am going to kill him when I get out of these handcuffs."_ Ziva thought, while she shifted to a more comfortable position.

She wondered how long she had been there and hoped that Gibbs and the others were looking for her. The Israeli had no idea how long she could survive these attacks.

Something caught her attention, when she tried to sit up. It was a reddish light, which kept turning on and off, just like the red lights located on very tall buildings, the warning light for airplanes. Then Ziva felt the smell, the smell of tobacco and she knew she wasn't alone anymore. Barak was in the room, enjoying a cigarette, and waiting for her to snap out of her state.

Ziva hated it when she had to admit to herself that she was concerned and afraid, and at the moment she was scared as hell. What would Barak do to her this time?

"Good morning sunshine! He laughed and took another smoke… You have been out for quite a while. How are you feeling?"

She let out a sarcastic laugh and told him "Now you care about my wellbeing, after you beat the living crap out of me?"

"My dear Ziva, of course I care, you see I want to make sure that you are in top form for the next round of "pleasure". He replied to her attack.

Ziva rubbed her lip and looked in the direction where the voice came from. She could not see him, for that it was to dark, but she could hear and sense him.

"You must be thirsty. Here you go dear." He said and Ziva could hear the noise made by an object hitting the floor, and rolling.

She was hungry and thirsty, but she didn't trust Barak, he could easily poison her.

"Go on Ziva, take the bottle of water, I know you want to. For your information, I do not want to kill you…yet. More important I want you alive and conscious when we have our little game and I want you to feel everything. So do go on and drink." He trailed away.

She did not trust him, but the thirst was becoming unbearable, so she crawled to the place where she heard the bottle roll to. Ziva drank it quickly and felt how her body was welcoming the water; she never had been so happy to taste water in her entire life. In less then a minute the bottle was empty and lying somewhere on the ground, while she was trying to make out Barak's figure from the dark.

"Ziva my dear say thank you, to uncle Barak." The man began.

"Why should I thank you Barak? You hold me hostage, you tied me up, not letting me defend myself and then beat me." She replied the tension and the frustration noticeable in her voice.

Before she could notice him moving, she felt something hard hitting her face, but she did not say a word or let a moan out.

"I told you once bitch, you are going to be nice to me!" he yelled

Ziva just laughed, trying to buy herself some time. Something she learned in Mossad was that if you get hit once, you surely will get hit again.

The other blow to her face came as quickly and silent as the previous one, and panic was starting to rear its ugly face inside Ziva. She stood up and tried to hit him, but the only thing she managed to hit was thin air.

Barak laughed and hit her again, this time in her already wounded torso. She let out a small scream, and at the same time prayed that he did not do more damage then he already did. Another blow approached Ziva, punching her back, making her drop to the floor. None of them said anything, but she could hear his excited breath, as he could hear her attempts to breathe normal.

The young woman closed her eyes and remembered, what her father always told her _"Ziva, if your eyes do not see, you ears will see, you touch will see. Don't rely on your eyesight; you never know when you could lose it."_

"_He is right._ She thought…_I will bring him down and make him understand that he can't break me that easily."_ She closed her eyes and listened to the noises made by the rats and mice, listened to the noise of Barak lighting another cigarette. The noise was intense, and because of the small room in which they were located she knew exactly where he was. He could hear him take a smoke and smell the smoke of his cigarette, feel the ground vibrating under his, while he was shifting his weight from one foot to the other,

Ziva quickly got up, without making noise and smacked the back of his head with her fists. Barak dropped to the ground while burning himself with his cigarette. He quickly got back on his feet and yelled:"You bitch! How dare you? Oh, I am going to hurt you for this; make you plead mercy."

The rage was clouding his capacity to think clearly and he started punching air, looking for Ziva, while the wounded Israeli was dodging his fists, relying only on her other senses and not on her eyesight.

"Where are you?" he screamed. But there was only silence. Ziva was moving like a feline in the dark, avoiding his fists full of rage. He came very close to her, she could hear his harsh breath, and she skillfully kicked him in his chest sending him to the other side of the room, making him crash in to the hard wall. Ziva stayed put, waited for Barak to jump up again and start another fight, but he did not move and she could not hear anything coming from his side.

Cautiously she walked towards the wall, very Barak was lying. She hoped that he was unconscious and she could find a key or a chip, something to free her from the handcuffs.

She came close to him, starting touching his body, looking, but something grabbed her hand, pulled her down and she could feel the whole wait of Barak's body.

"You really thought you could bring me down with that trick of yours? That's not very nice of you." he said.

She was struggling underneath him, trying to free herself but he held her hands and he was trying to immobilize her feet as well.

"Stop moving!" he barked

During this struggle his body shifted and Ziva grabbed the opportunity offered to her. She hit him in the jewels, making him curl with pain, while releasing her. She quickly jumped up, and started delivering blow after blow to his torso, with her feet.

He snatched her by the leg and threw her in to the wall, and then trying to immobilize her. The impact with the wall made Ziva's head spin, but she managed to avoid Barak's attempts to halt her. His attempts to grab Ziva, failed and he smashed in to the wall, with his face, injuring himself. He let out a scream, like a wild animal, then turned around and in the dim light he spotted Ziva. She was still drowsy and not really able to move too much, making her an easy pray for Barak. His hands captured her throat and started to squeeze. She wasn't getting any air, but she fought, punching his face, hands, and then whacked him in the family jewels again, forcing him to let go of her.

Ziva fell on the ground and started coughing, while Barak was rolling on the ground because of the pain.

Finally she stood up and was again paying attention to the silence. Something was wrong, because there seemed to be no trace of Barak, but she didn't notice any door being opened or closed. He had to be here, and he was waiting to grab her again.

"Where are you?" she asked. Only silence and she grew impatient and worried at the same time.

"You know I don't like cowards, and you must know I am not a big fan of hide and peek." Ziva said mockingly

"It's hide and seek, darling" he screamed and jumped on her. They both hit the ground quite hard and she felt a sharp object pointed against face.

"I just want to mutilate that pretty little face of yours darling." He whispered angrily.

He walked the cold blade, along the curve of her nose and she could feel how much he was restraining himself from cutting her.

"The do it Barak! Kill me!" she ridiculed him.

He hit her in the face again, and she felt the blood invading again. Anger was building up inside her and she was very close to bursting, but she did not know what to do exactly. He had her immobilized once again.

"Not like this sugar pie, not like this. I want to have you in full light and play surgeon with you." he murmured and hit her in the face again.

She had the impression; he had broken something this time, because the pain was tremendous. She decided then to let her anger out and spit the blood, which was gathering in her mouth, in his face.

He was confused for a second and let go of Ziva's arms, an opportunity that she used and smacked him in the face, using her handcuffs, to make the blow more painful. He got of from her, and Ziva jumped on her feet, waiting for the next attack.

Then she felt pain in the back of her head and everything went black. She drifted once more in to the dark.


	12. Time is running out

**Hey guys! Here is the new chapter...Have around two more for you coming up...Enjoy**

**xoxo LT **

* * *

**Time is running out**

Gibbs looked up from his desk at his two agents, both of them asleep after being on their feet for more then 24 hours. McGee was lying with his face on his keyboard and his fingers still in the position they froze while he was typing something. Tony held in one hand the phone, while resting his head on the other hand. From the two of them, Tony was the one, who woke up very often or mumble something in his sleep. It was always Ziva related, and Gibbs only smiled when he heard Tony mumbling "Hold on sweetcheeks!"

"_Rule 12 was made to avoid this kind of situations. Now I have to of my best agents love-sick for each other. Damn rule 12 and theses two idiots that never listen to me or follow my rules" _he thought with a smile on his face. Even if he would never admit it, he was happy for them and he was sure that they were made for each other, DiNozzo the clown, David the assassin.

Gibbs was tiered but his gut was telling him that time was running out and Ziva will not be able to hold on for much longer, making him not able to get some rest.

With this thought he went off to get some coffee for himself and for his two agents.

* * *

After a 15 minutes Gibbs returned and found his agents still asleep. He slammed a cup of coffee on Tony's desk and saw how the young agent opened his eyes, and mumbles a thank you. When he slammed the cup of coffee on McGee's desk, Gibbs was surprised and couldn't restrain a smile when he saw the effect. McGee jumped up and said "I wasn't sleeping boss; I swear I was just resting my eyes."

"It's ok McGee. Have some coffee and get back to work. I need to know who Barak is." Gibbs replied.

"Boss hasn't Abby called? I mean she is also the expert and she might have more luck then us finding this guy." Tony asked hoping that some kind of miracle happened while he was asleep.

"No DiNozzo. Abby hasn't found anything and I send her home, two hours ago. She had 8 Caf-Pows, but still no energy to go on. She will be back in a couple of hours and continue her search."

"Boss I managed to crack the system that was protecting the bank account. It was difficult but I was able to get a virus in the shield, breaking it down and then the…" McGee began.

"To the point McGee." Gibbs countered.

"Sorry boss. The bank account from which the transfer was made, belong to someone called John Myers, who got the money from another account belonging to Jeff Stavros, who got the money from a guy called Jeremy Debton, and the list goes on like this until it gets to our guy, to Barak." McGee revealed with a hint of pride.

"Now we know that our guy was the one who paid Rogers for the killing of the petty officer" Tony spoke out what the others have thought all along.

"McGee did you manage to pull out some data about this Barak guy?" Gibbs questioned.

"I have put the name through every data base possible, but the only thing that has come out is that there is a guy going by this name and that he works for an agency. No other date is available, it's like the agency or he has deleted any trace of information." McGee replied.

Gibbs looked angrier then ever. This guy was too good and it pissed him off, because every time they got a lead, it stopped abruptly, when they thought they are close of catching him.

"McGee, DiNozzo; go and get something to eat, while I go for coffee. Be back in 30 minutes." He said.

"Right boss. Thank you" they both replied at the same time and all three headed towards the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, a small man with a large bag stepped out and greeted them. Gibbs, McGee and Tony stepped inside the elevators and before the doors closed, the man turned and yelled Gibbs's name.

Gibbs stopped the doors from closing and looked at the man who handed him a letter and then turned around.

"Wait! Gibbs yelled…Who gave you this letter?"

"I don't know agent Gibbs, I found it on my desk when I came to work in the morning. It had no address, nothing, only your name." the post-man answered.

He looked at Gibbs, who ignored the somewhat frightened post-man, and then asked the agent again: "Agent Gibbs...m…m…may I go?"

"Yeah! Go!" the reply came.

The other two agents stepped out of the elevator after the post-man had left. All three of them knew what the envelope contained, but they were still hoping that they were right and Gibbs had received a post-card from an ex-wife that had recently got married or something.

Gibbs slowly opened the envelope and the other two agents pulled closely together to see the pictures. It shocked them again to see a bruised and bloody Ziva. The envelope contained three pictures of Ziva lying on the floor, her face swollen and full of bruises. To their relief, there were no new cuts on her arms or on any other visible part of her body. A message was attached to the photos, and all three agents disturbed when they saw the righting. **" She is strong, but not strong enough. Step by step I am breaking her in to small pieces. The sins need all her blood, the blood of a David. Agent Gibbs time is running out. By this time tomorrow I will send you her body."**

The words shocked them, scared them and the fact that the writing was in blood made the fear for Ziva's life more acute.

"DiNozzo, McGee! Back to work. No launch today. I want you to find out who the hell this guy is." Gibbs said.

Both nodded and went back to their desks. They had lost their appetite the moment the post-man had called out Gibbs's name.

"DiNozzo call your friends in Metro, pull some strings, anything but find out who this guy is."

"On it boss."

"McGee, call Abby and get her in. I want both of you to find out for whom this guy works."

"Right boss."

At that moment the elevator doors opened and Abby walked in all excited.

"Guys I have something for you. Maybe it would help us to find Ziva." She exclaimed.

Gibbs looked at her, but didn't say a thing and the Goth noticed that something was wrong.

"Gibbs is something wrong?" she innocently asked.

"We got pictures of Ziva and it isn't good." He replied

Tears were starting to build in Abby's eyes and she ran in Gibbs's arms.

"Abby please stop crying and tell me what you have discovered, maybe it can help us find her in time."

She was still crying but looked up and told him; "One time, during a thunderstorm, Ziva was with me in the lab. She was happy that it rained, looked at me and said something in Hebrew that I did not understand, but I remember her saying a word very similar to this guy's name. When you send me home today, I couldn't sleep and I went online and I typed this guy's name in to google. It seems that Barak means lightning in Hebrew. This guy is probably from Israel."

Gibbs looked at her and the other two agents and then kissed Abby's forehead, letting her go at the same time.

The boss-man grabbed his phone and called Jenny's office but Cynthia told him that the director was in MTAC.

"McGee, DiNozzo MTAC, now." He uttered while practically running up the steps leading to MTAC.

* * *

All three of them entered MTAC and found Jenny sitting in a chair, looking at a screen and thinking about something.

Gibbs touched her shoulder and she came out of trance state.

"Jethro, Tony, Tim what are you doing here? What's wrong?" she asked, getting paler by the second after seeing the exhausted and worried faces of the three agents.

"Jen, it's time to call him." Gibbs declared.

"What are you talking about? Whom should I call?" she asked confused

"It seems our kidnapper is Israeli and we got new pictures of Ziva. She has new injuries and I have no idea how much longer she will be able to survive. The guy is brutal."

She looked at him and saw that he was not joking, then slowly turned her head and said "Jeremy, connect me to Deputy Director David of Mossad."

The young man, going by the name of Jeremy started to type something and after a long time the face of a man appeared. He seemed to be around 50 years old, but his face and expression was one of pure determinacy and strength. Tony saw from where Ziva had gotten her strength, and also whose eyes she inherited.

"Good morning director David. How are you doing?" Jenny greeted.

"Good morning to you as well director Shepard. What is the reason for your call?"

"We have a situation here and we need your help director David. I think you are the only one who can help us."

"What is the nature of your situation director?"

"We are looking for a man named Barak. Do you know him?" Gibbs asked

David did not answer immediately, he just glared at Gibbs.

"I believe director that this question could have been answered by my daughter Ziva, and you did not need to call me." He replied while still staring at Gibbs.

Jenny and the three other agents recognized the anger vibrating from his voice, and they all knew from what Ziva had told them, that it was not a wise idea to piss off her dad.

"Director Shepard, where is my daughter? I see other agents, and I presume she is a part of that team, yes?"

"That's the problem….Gibbs started…This man, Barak I asked you about has kidnapped your daughter. He is beating her and sending us pictures and letters. In his last letter he states that Ziva will be dead by this time tomorrow."

"It's a lie. I do not believe a single thing. Barak would never do that." The angry response came from the large screen

"If you don't believe me, then take a look at these pictures." Gibbs replied while, giving a man two envelops.

After a few minutes the newest pictures appeared on another screen, and right next to them the letter was displayed.

Director David's face dropped, when he saw the pictures. He couldn't believe that that bloody form was his daughter.

"She looks better now director, the second set of pictures shows that Barak is getting soft; look at the first pictures, when the wound are fresh." Gibbs said with sarcasm in his voice and after a few minutes, new pictures were displayer, showing the horrible cut-wounds on her arms. Gibbs hoped that his sarcasm would make Ziva's father cooperate and give them the needed information. He observed David's facial expression when the older set of photos was displayed.

Deputy director David was a hard man that had seen a lot of brutal things in his life, but he disturbed by the sight. Slowly the anger seemed to take the place of his shock and he then spoke.

"Barak is my ride hand, and the best agent that I have. He is a master of torture and some of the techniques young agents learn in Mossad have been invented and thought by him. I have known him for all of my life and he has been very close to my family. It's very hard for me to believe that he could do something like this."

"Director David, Barak has paid a man to kill a marine. We caught the marines killer and he confessed the name." Jenny said

"It is very hard for me to accept that this man could harm my daughter. He should be in Syria at the moment, localizing a terrorist cell and eliminating it….However, I am forced to admit that this is Barak.  
"How come director?" McGee asked.

"He has used this cutting technique in many interrogations and tortures. He is the best one it, because he knows exactly how deep to cut in order to produce as much pain as possible." He answered, looking now older then he was and tiered.

"How can we find him?" Gibbs inquired.

"We need to find him before it is to late, please tell us." Jenny pleaded.

Deputy Director David was talking to a man, giving him orders; then turned back to the screen and the others saw that his face expressed pure rage.

"I am on my way. My plane will be ready in 20 minutes and I will arrive in Washington at 1200 hours."

With this last sentence the screen went blank leaving director Shepard and the other agents stunned.


	13. TickTack Bang

**Hey guys! Well this is the longest chapter of all. I hope you like it. Thank you again for the reviews, you inspire me to keep on writing. Please let me know if you like it:) There is one more chapter coming, hopefully by tomorrow:))**

**xoxo LT **

* * *

**Tick-Tack ****Bang**

"Deputy Director David is flying all the way from Tel Aviv to Washington…" McGee said and looked surprised at the others. From what he had understood from Ziva, her father wasn't your average family man. He did not shed a tear when Tali died, and he did not show any signs of pain or that he missed his wife, once she was gone.

Now he was flying all the way from Israel to save his daughter.

"McGee, go to Abby and try to pull Barak's profile from Mossad. Maybe after this talk we could get in to the Mossad date-base." Gibbs said, while he watched his younger agent disappear out the door.

"Tony you're with me. Let's have another chat with Rogers."

"On your six boss." The Italian responded.

"I will wait for Ziva's father. Maybe I will be able to get more information from him." Jenny said and took the cup of coffee out of Gibbs's hand.

* * *

Rogers entered the room, handcuff and still pretty pale after the "Nelson encounter"; Gibbs and Tony followed him.

"Rogers, where did you meet Barak, after you left the Hotel?" Gibbs asked, wishing in secret that Rogers would cooperate this time, more and he would not need to use Nelson's head again.

"Agent Gibbs, you know that I can't tell you that. If Barak would find out that I told you, he would kill me." The man replied, and both agents could tell that Barak scared Rogers to death.

Tony leaned forward and said in a very low tone "Oh trust me, after I finish with you, for not cooperating, you wish you could be dead."

The marine's killer was one step away from crying; he was afraid of the NCIS agents but at the same time he was scared that Barak could get him, if he would find out that he had betrayed him.

"Look, agent Gibbs, I would like to help you but, I can't. He would kill me in the cruelest way possible. I know he would."

"OK Rogers will have it your way. Gibbs began and then turned to Tony….DiNozzo, bring petty officer Nelson in. I think he would be glad to meet his "friend" once again."

Tony nodded and stood up from the chair, and by the time he reached the door, Rogers cried Tony's name out. "Please don't. I will tell you everything you want to know, but please don't bring it back in."

Tony turned around and faced a more dead then alive killer. He was asking himself, how the hell this man managed to kill somebody cold-blooded.

"All right Rogers speak. Where did you go that night? Where did you meet Barak?" Gibbs requested and Tony sat down again.

"I met Barak, at an old abandoned warehouse, outside of the city, around half an hour drive from the hotel. You just head north and you will have no way of missing it. It's the only one that is still standing." The answer came.

"Why did Barak pay you to kill Nelson? Was there a connection between the officer and your contractor?" Tony inquired.

"I worked with some men on a deal. In the beginning it went pretty well and I was making tones of money but at one point my partners started to cut me out of deals, I started losing money, I borrowed money, basically I was head over heals in shit and I did not know how to get out of it. One night at a pub I met Barak, my vodka level was high and I started telling Barak all my problems. He offered to help me get out of this mess. I promised to do anything for him, and he told me that he will find a way to contact me. Two weeks later he did and we met at that pub again. He promised me 30 million dollars if I could get rid of somebody….he paused and then looked at the two agents….I wasn't to happy about that, but the chance of getting 30 million dollars overruled any kind of doubts I had. You see I was supposed to kill a marine….I had to provoke the NCIS, and attract the attention of a woman."

Both agents were stunned by this. That sick man had planned it all along, the perfect way to get Ziva.

"Rogers what the hell do you mean by this?" Tony and Gibbs asked at the same time.

"Barak told me that there was a woman with brown curly hair in NCIS and he had to have her in any way possible. Every time he spoke of her, he looked like a wild animal. I just knew he watched her, day and night and at the hotel he called me to meet him in the old warehouse. Joe told me that he had the impression that we were followed by somebody but I ignored him. When I got there I demanded more money, because I kind of got freaked out by the constant visits of the coops, and during our conversation the woman was spotted. I fled the warehouse but I managed to see that the woman was fighting and then I heard Barak's voice asking that she should be not harmed."

The room went silent and both agents feared the worst. If Barak was so well organized and planned his every step, then what were the chances of them finding Ziva in time?

* * *

The elevator stopped and went dark when Gibbs switched the emergency button.

"Tony…Gibbs began in a soft voice…gas up the car, while I get McGee. We have to see if she is still at that warehouse. I doubt it, but maybe there is something there that might help us."

The Italian did not answer, he was too worried and desperation was starting to cloud his mind.

"Tony we will find her, in time." He continued.

"Boss I doubt that. Barak planed everything and I don't think he is in that warehouse." Tony replied.

"Ouch, boss. What was that for?" the senior field agent asked, while rubbing the back of his head.

"It's for giving up. Ziva is a strong woman and she will hold on. You told me that you love her, then look in to your heart and tell me if she is dead." Gibbs said and Tony smiled.

"She isn't dead boss, but she is probably badly injured and I feel helpless.

Gibbs did not answer but pushed the emergency button once again and the elevator began moving.

The three agents got out of the car and looked around the deserted area. Rogers was right, there was only one warehouse still standing, the other once were seriously damaged, possibly from a fire. They were headed towards the entrance of the warehouse, when McGee saw something after a huge pile of metal. He walked over and discovered Ziva's red Mini.

"Boss…he shouted…I Rogers told the truth. Ziva was here."

The other two agents walked over and inspected the car, but then headed again towards the old warehouse. Tony went around the building but he could not find another entrance just an open window.

"There is no other entrance boss…he began…Just an open window, and the way I know Ziva that's the way she got in to the building."

All three of them had their guns in their hands and Gibbs was the first to enter through the only door.

"Clear." He shouted, after inspecting the large hall, waiting that McGee and Tony should enter the hall.

Tony went moved quietly to the left side of the building and entered a small room. Like the previous room, this one was empty as well.

"Clear." He yelled and returned to the other room.

"Gibbs, there is nobody here." He said and looked once more around the big room.

"Where's Probie, by the way?"

Gibbs did not respond, but pulled his sig out again, and called McGee's name. There was no response, and Tony pulled his sig out as well.

Gibbs was basically running towards the other room, and Tony caught up with him, when Gibbs slammed the door open. They found no trace of McGee, but they saw another door, half way open. The grey haired agent entered the room, with Tony right behind him, just to see that that room was actually a hallway that leads to a set of stairs.

"Probie, are you down there?" Tony called out and he breathed with relief when he heard McGee answering back.

"Boss, Tony you have to see this."

Both agents looked at each other suspecting the worst, and then climbed down the stairs.

They found McGee looking at something, but their eyes weren't yet adjusted to the light. After a couple of minutes, the ghastly sight was visible for the other two agents.

A young man, in his mid 20s, was lying on a chair, with his hands and feet tight up, his throat cut, covered in blood and from what they could see, he had cigarette burns all over his body. When the three agents got closer, they noticed the writing on the wall…

"**I liked this man, he served me well, but I needed to leave you a little something. Something that would show you, that Ziva's time is almost up. Her death will be much more violent."**

Gibbs pulled out his phone and asked for a NCIS team to come to the crime scene, while asking that Ducky and Palmer should come along as well. He then phoned Jenny, asking if Ziva's father had arrived, and filling her in on the findings.

"He just landed Jethro. Get back to headquarters, I thing he has a lot to tell us." She said and after a few seconds the conversation stopped.

Gibbs turned to the two agents and informed them that Ziva's father had just arrived the turned to McGee and head-slapped him.

"What was that for boss?" McGee asked

"For scaring DiNozzo." Gibbs replied and couldn't suppress a grin.

* * *

She was still tight op to that chair, and every bone in her body hurt, but from what she could tell, she had injured Barak, and that gave her satisfaction.

"You don't look to good Barak. Rough night?" she asked and then put on an innocent smile.

He put down his cigarette and walked over just to slap her again, but she did not say a word.

"Enough all ready with the slapping. You made your point already, pick out another area of my body."

He did not reply, but continued to smoke and observe her.

"For how long have you been observing me Barak, that you know that I was going to come after you?" she asked, not waiting actually for a response.

Still she was surprised when she got on.

"I have been watching you darling for the past four months my dear. From the point you got out of bed, until the moment you went to bed."

He finished his cigarette and walked over to her, at the same time pulling the hunting knife out. Ziva's eyes grew wider and she could feel the panic inside her getting stronger.

"My dear Ziva. It's time to scream, pay for your father's sins and die."

"Barak, wait!" she started, and to her surprised he stopped and looked at her…."Why do you want to kill me? What sin does my father have, that it has to be paid in my blood?

"You do not need to know."

"Yes I do, need to know. You promised me you would tell me. You have tied my hands and my feet and I can't defend myself, I will surly die, so I have the right to know."

He smiled and kissed her on her swollen cheek, then said:" I will tell you because I want to grant you this one last wish."

Ziva only looked at him, walked back to the small table and light another cigarette, took his chair and came closer to her chair. He sat down and after a few seconds of silence he began his story.

"After Barcelona, I returned to Mossad, and told your father a part of what had happened. He listened to me, but did not make any comment about that. After that, my missions that involved working with women, dropped, but I did not mind that. About one year after the incident, my wife died and on her death bed she begged me, to pull our son out of Mossad. Even if my behavior towards women was a little rough most of the time, I had loved my wife and I asked for a meeting with your father. I asked him to let Jacob resign from Mossad and led him leave the country. Your father laughed and told me that once one enters Mossad, he is released from duty only by death. After a lot of arguing, we reached an agreement that, Jacob should be not send on very dangerous missions. I wasn't particularly happy about this, but it was the best thing I could do.

A couple of months after this talk, you, Jacob and Ari were sent on that mission in Syria. Well you knew what happened, you and Ari survived, while Jacob died. YOU LEFT HIM TO DIE!...he yelled, but after a few seconds he calmed down and continued… After a while your father agreed to transfer you to NCIS, which was like releasing you from duty. Why could he do this to you and not for my son? For my son's death, you and your father have to pay. Ari has already paid.

Ziva, you could have saved my son's life, but you saved Ari's life instead and yours. For that I would never forgive you."

His eyes looked at her with rage, and Ziva knew that her fate had been sealed, but she knew that the reasons were unjust. She couldn't hold it in anymore so she began.

"You are a fool Barak, you know I couldn't have saved Jacob even if I wanted to. He was seriously injured and he told me that he would never want to live, if that would mean being not able to move and depend on others. I respected his wish and left him there to die for the cause he believed in; he believed that his death would stop that terrorist cell."

"THAT'S A LIE! You didn't want to save him and now you're making up excuses." He yelled.

Ziva started laughing and looked the former Mossad assassin in the eyes.

"You are a cowered Barak, if you think that by murdering me you will be able to make my father pay, for doing his job. When you enter Mossad, you are trained that you may die any second. The way you intend to make my father pay shows that you are afraid of me, that I might defeat you."

"SHUT UP!" he shouted.

"Untie me Barak, prove that you are a man."

"I SAID SHUT UP AND PREPAIR TO DIE."

"UNTIE ME BARAK! BE A MAN!" she yelled.

He came up to her and showed her the haunting knife, giving her the impression that the moment of truth had come and she would have to face now all the people she had killd. To her surprise he cut the ropes from her feet and hands and told her "If you think that you can defeat me, and then prove it to me. Show me what you are made of David."

* * *

She stood up and kicked her chair besides, going in to combat position. He threw the knife away and spite in a corner, preparing as well to receive the first move from Ziva. Both of them looked like two angry animals, which had been kept in separate cages for far too long. Ziva came closer and waited fro Barak to move, but he did nothing just glared at her and waited.

After moving in circles for about ten minutes, Barak lost his patience, and attacked Ziva, but she blocked his kick, grabbing his ankle and making him lose his balance for a second. He quickly regained balance and started using his fist, and punched her in her abdomen and torso. She on the other hand skillfully blocked most of hits, but she was slowly getting tiered of this cat and mouse game.

Ziva decided it was time for a full scale attack. When Barak tried to hit her in the face again, she quickly ducked and hit his ankles with her leg making him fall. Once Barak was down, she jumped on top of him, and managed to immobilize his leg, smacking his face, with her fists. Barak was too surprised at the beginning to react, although he had his hands free, but once he came out of the state of shock, he grabbed Ziva's hands, stopping her from moving.

"Got you now my dear child." He smirked, but before he was able to say anything else, Ziva head-punched him in the face. The blow was so powerful that Barak felt how two of his teeth fell out. Ziva hit him again and Barak wasn't really able to react in any way, so she stood up from him and knocked him in the ribs.

At one point, when Ziva was letting all her anger on him, he suddenly grabbed her by leg and knocked her down. He then jumped on her back, and grabbed her arm, twisting it, hoping that he would hear the specific sound of broken bone. Ziva struggled under him and tried to free herself, but the one arm, he was not twisting was under her, and Barak's wait was preventing her to free it. The pain was getting unbearable and she knew that the bone was seconds away from breaking. She started moving from one side, trying to get the man off of her or free her hand; in the end having more luck with the second alternative. Once her hand was free, she continued to move from side to side, and at point she managed to turn a little and partially see Barak, at the same, lifting her torso a little from the ground and with almost inhuman strength, punch Barak in the face. The man was confused for a second, and the weight on Ziva's body shifted, making it for her easier to get him off of her.

He fell next to the chair, quickly came out of his surprise state and grabbed the chair. Now the man was trying to hit the young woman with the chair, but Ziva was quicker then he and managed to dodge the blows. At one point she got very close to the wall, and when Barak thought he had her trapped and wanted to injure her, once again, she ducked, he full of rage did not see her move, and he smashed the wooden chair in to the wall, turning it to pieces of wood. She grabbed from the floor a piece of wood and started hitting him in the torso and head; he grabbed her hand at one point and picked her up, throwing her in to the wall. Ziva hit the wall hard, and Barak heard, how one of her bones cracked. Ziva had broken a rib, but she still got up from the floor. Barak's smile immediately diapered when he saw the young woman standing up.

"You really think one little injury could make me give up?" she asked and started laughing. He attacked her again, but she grabbed his hand and did the same thing he did earlier, twisted it behind his back and made him fall to his knees, then grabbed his head and smashed it against the wall, over and over again. But Barak regained control over himself again and hit her with his free hand in her torso, making her cry out in pain. She let go of his arm, and took a few steps behind, then saw Barak's face very close to hers. He picked her up again, and carried her to the wall and smacked her against the wall, over and over again. Every time she tried to breathe normally it hurt her and she hoped that nothing else would be broken or worse the rib should puncture her lung. She was very close to losing consciousness and when she hit the ground a noise made her stay awake. The voices were far away from her but she managed to distinguish "NCIS". She smiled and hoped that this nightmare was done.

Tony had his sig pulled along with Gibbs, McGee and Ziva's father. The sight he saw made his blood run cold, because not far from him was a bloody figure with brown hair, Ziva's hair. Barak, was covered in bruises and by what he could see, even if Ziva was injured she had beaten the living crap out of him. Tony was trying to suppress the anger that was building inside of him.

"AAAAAAA, Deputy Director David! How nice of you to join us… Barak began… I was just sending your daughter in to the afterlife. She probably misses her mother, her sister Tali and he brother Ari."

"_Why should she miss Ari? Her brother? What the hell is wrong with this guy?"_ Tony thought but did not make a move or say anything.

"You have business with me and not with my child." Director David said with a sharp voice. One had the impression that the sentence he spoke, was like a samurai's sword. They were cutting deep in to the flesh and they had the power to kill.

"Yes my dear friend, my business is with you, but I think by getting each other on the same lever we can talk business. Once you do not have children any more, like me then we can understand each other." Barak continued.

"Barak you are crazy. Why do you think that we will be on the same level if you take my child away from me?"

"Because I would then have taken a child away from you like you have taken mine away from me."

"Jacob chose to go on that mission. He questioned me when I refused to send him off, and he asked me to go on that mission, I accepted."

"Why did you accept, David? Did you hate Jacob that much?"

"I did not hate Jacob; I loved him like he was my own son. He was always in my house, played with my children."

"You're laying David and now it's too late to make excuses anymore. Say goodbye to your last child." Barak said, and took from the table next to him a gun, pointing it towards a more unconscious the conscious Ziva.

"NO!" Tony yelled and fired a shot, which hit Barak in the leg, making him cry out in pain and drop to the floor.

The four men moved closer, keeping their eyes on Barak, who was holding his leg. At the same time, Ziva had come around and tried to sit up, but the next thing she saw, was that Barak, pointed the gun towards her stomach and fired.

She felt the pain and the blood flowing and when she touched her stomach and saw the hand covered in blood she knew that time was running out for her.

Tony dropped his sig and slid on the floor, took her in his arms.

"Sweet cheeks please don't do this to me. Hold on please."

"Tony…"

"Shhh don't talk baby. It's going to be ok."

"I need to… I need to tell you something."

"Later Zee-vha not now."

"Tony there is no time."

"Yes there is. Don't die I need you."

"Please somebody call an ambulance." He yelled out

"I love you Ziva, please stay with me."

"I love…"

She went silent after that, but he could still feel a weak pulse, and he was hoping the paramedics would get here in time, because she was losing too much blood.

Tony then turned around and saw Ziva's father stand in front of Barak, both looking at Ziva. Barak started laughing and looked in to deputy director David's eyes.

"Now you know how it feels to lose a child by the hand of your best friend. You will now turn me to the police and I will be sent back to Israel to be judged. A few years in prison are worth it now. I have done what I wanted to do, but first good bye director David." He pulled his gun again, but before being able to point towards Ziva's father, director David shot his friend right between his eyes, just like Kate had been shoot.

"Nobody messes with my daughter." He said, and his tone made every one in the room shiver.

He then kneeled down, next to Ziva and Tony and said something in Hebrew, but the once hard and powerful man, had turned in to a heartbroken father, who seemed to be seconds away from crying.

The paramedics finally arrived and began stopping the bleeding, taking care of her injuries. Tony could hear how the paramedics were screaming that there wasn't any heart beat.

"_Charge at 250. Clear….No pulse…Charge again, to 300…Clear. _

_Damn it no pulse, Kathy charge again to 350…Clear."_

He was just standing there, saw the ambulance go by and he felt like something broke inside of him.


	14. Sweetcheeks reloaded

**Hey guys! Sorry about the delay...Here is the last chapter of this story I hope you like it. Thank you sooooo much for the reviews. I just started my next fanfiction, and I hope you will like that as well. Please review this last chapter.**

**xoxo LT. **

* * *

**Sweetcheeks reloaded**

He sat there, with his head between his hands trying not to cry, or even think about the possibility of Ziva dieing. She couldn't die, not now, after he confessed what he felt for her, and it seemed she had the same feelings for him. Even though he was terrified that she might die, he felt like the whole world was his, when she spoke two out of three magical words, and two seconds later his world collapsed when she blacked out.

He lifted his head from his hands and looked around and then he saw his boss, sitting on a white, uncomfortable chair, with a cup of coffee in his right hand and his left arm around Jenny's waist. Director Shepard's head was lying on Gibbs's shoulder and she was dozing off. Every once in a while she would flitch and wake up from what it seemed to be a nightmare and then Gibbs would hold her even tighter. They looked good together and Tony felt that Jen would be the woman that would make Gibbs smile more often. Next to Jenny, McGee was sitting on another chair, while holding a scared Abby on his lap. For the first two hours Abby had been crying constantly, and McGee had been trying his best to comfort her, while his face expressed the purest concern. Now Abby had stopped crying but was holding on to McGee, like he was the only one who could save her from falling in to the abyss of madness. She arrived at the hospital twenty minutes after Ziva had been brought and she was screaming on the top of her lungs while the tears were running down her face madly. Tony knew that after Kate, loosing Ziva would change Abby forever. _"Sweetcheeks, please don't die. You have a loving family, you have me, and we have a future. Please don't leave me, and think of the people you would change forever if you would not wake up."_ Tony prayed, while he looked at the other people in the room. 

Ducky was sitting next Gibbs, quietly, and looking at the wall in front of him. He looked like he had aged twenty years in the past hours and Tony had never seen him so down. Then he moved his head again and saw Deputy Director David. He was sitting two chairs away from him, isolated from the rest of the team. He had not spoken a word to anybody since he got to the hospital, just walked nervously in the beginning and then sat down and not moved for the past hours. 

Tony looked at the male image of Ziva, and couldn't believe that he could show emotions. Ziva had always hidden her emotions, not letting anybody in, to see how she really was, and he expected her father to be the same. But after tonight he had changed his mind, deputy director David was human and his face expressed pain and concern. 

Suddenly Ziva's father stood up from his chair and began walking down the corridor, probably heading towards the coffee machine. Gibbs saw him, whispered something to Ducky and then he saw his boss gently wake Jenny. Gibbs stood up and Ducky took his place only to hear how the good old doctor told her to go back to sleep and lean on him. Tony then saw how Gibbs started walking the same direction Ziva's father was going.

Gibbs stopped behind Ziva's father and saw how he picked up the cup of coffee from the machine. Deputy Director David looked tiered and utterly concerned, but he did not say a word, although Gibbs knew that Ziva's father knew he was standing behind him.

"She will be fine director." Gibbs said and saw how the director of Mossad turned around and looked at him.

"How do you know that agent Gibbs?" The replay came.

"I did not give her permission to die."

Director David smiled weakly and then said: "Ziva does not take orders. She listens but acts how she pleases."

"Ziva has changed in the past three years and she listens to me. She will not die; she is a strong woman."

"People at Mossad are trained to believe that life is something that they can lose any day and that death can be liberation. Ziva was brought up with this and I am afraid after everything Mossad and even I have put her through, she will not want to live and will not fight for her life."

"You are wrong director. Ziva will fight, because she has now something to fill her life with. It's not about being an assassin anymore, it's much more."

"Agent Gibbs I really do not understand what you are saying. Ziva has never attached herself to anything and work was always the one thing that filled her life, especially after Tali's and Ari's death."

"She found love, director. She loves and she is being loved and this will give her the strength to go on."

"I hope you are right." Ziva's father said, more to himself then to Gibbs.

"Director we should be heading back. Ziva might come out of surgery any minute."

Both man walked back to the team in silence. Once back in the waiting room, both men took their former places and silence covered the team once more.

* * *

Three more hours past and the team was starting to lose it. Abby was crying again, McGee was trying to comfort her without any success, Gibbs was walking up and down the hallway, Jenny was moving from one chair to the other, while Ducky was becoming concerned with every second that passed. Tony stood up from the floor and started moving then noticing that director David was looking at him.

"Do you love my daughter?" he suddenly said and all eyes were on the two men.

Tony looked him in the eye and froze, smiled and replied softly;

"I do. I tried to deny it, but I fell in love with Ziva the moment I met her."

Ziva's father smiled and went silent; in the meantime Tony started to nervously walk again. The sound of footsteps attracted everybody's attention and they all held their breath, when they saw the doctor. 

Deputy Director David stood up from the chair he was sitting on and approached the doctor. The doctor's face was pale and full of concern, causing David to become white as chalk.

"Doctor is my daughter…" Director David began, but couldn't end the sentence.

"I have good news and bad news….The doctor began….The good news is that she is alive and we managed to stop the bleeding. The bad news is that Ziva is in a coma. Her injuries are very severe, the cuts wounds on her arms had become infected, and the gun shot has done a lot of damage. We are giving her antibiotics and the only thing we can do is wait. Her body heals and it's good that she is not conscious, the pain would be almost unbearable."

There was silence and after a few minutes of digesting the news Gibbs cautiously asked "What are her chances of waking up?"

"Agent Gibbs, I can't answer that question, the only thing I can tell you is, it was a miracle that Ziva managed to survive with her injuries that long. I do hope she will pull it through. Please do not give up. People have woken up out of coma."

"Can I see her?" Tony asked, his voice trembling.

"Yes you may see her, but only a few minutes." The answer came.

Tony wanted to storm down the corridor to Ziva's room, when somebody caught his arm. He turned around to see Gibbs looking at him, while he was shaking his head. In the meantime director David started walking down the hallway, leading to Ziva's room. He entered the room and saw his daughter lying on that bed, connected to machines that helped her breath and his whole world collapsed. He had never seen his children lying on a hospital bed, fighting death; Ari and Tali had died without him seeing them. He sat down on yet another uncomfortable hospital chair and took Ziva's hand in his own. He slowly muttered words in Hebrew, while stroking her hand, tears were running down his cheeks, he couldn't bear to lose another child. Even if he and she never did get along to well, he still loved her; she was a part of him and the link to his beloved dead wife.

"Wake up child." He pleaded and then went silent. The tears were now falling on her bruised hands and he was still amazed how strong she was. Director David kissed her cheek and then continued muttering something in Hebrew.

* * *

"Boss, I need to see her. Please let me go in." Tony begged.

"Deputy Director David needs some time with her. He is her father and he should be the one next to her."

"But boss…"

"No buts Tony. Just be patient, he will come out of that room eventually, but he needs to be there with Ziva." Gibbs said as he was leading Tony to the coffee machine. 

When the two agents came back from the coffee machine, they saw director David closing the door to Ziva's room. It was clear to all that he had been crying, even though he had done everything to hide it.

"Agent DiNozzo, I presume you want to see my daughter. Please go in, maybe you can convince her to wake up." He managed to articulate, and then turned to Jen.

"Director Shepard, I'm going to spend the night at the Embassy. If there is any change, please contact me."

"Don't worry Deputy Director, there is always going to be somebody at the hospital and you will be announced if there is a change in her condition." She replied

He thanked her and walked towards the exit. 

* * *

Tony entered the room and froze when he saw her lying in that bed. The Mossad assassin , feared by him and at least half on the NCIS, looked fragile. He could see the injuries on her face and when he approached the bed he saw the bandages covering the wounds on her arms. In the dim light of the warehouse, where they had found her, he did not see the full extend of her injuries. 

"Hey sweetchecks!" he began…"How are you?"

He pulled the chair closer to her bed and took her hand in to his. Tony never noticed how small and slender her hand was. It gave him the impression; he was holding the hand of a doll. He kissed her hand softly, looking at her, trying to fight the tears.

"Ziva please, wake up. I need you, the others need you." he said and kissed her hand again.

"Wake up Ziva I love you. Please!" he spoke, but the only sound came from Ziva's heart monitor. 

Minutes went by silently, his thoughts only interrupted by the beeping sound, and then he saw his boss come in. Tony was still holding Ziva's hand in to his, but when he looked up to see Gibbs, he was surprised to see the pain in his face. Gibbs never showed emotions, hid them very well, but now he was like a father looking at his ill child.

"How is she?" he asked

"No change boss."

"Go home Tony get some sleep."

"No boss, I'm staying here tonight. Maybe she will wake up. I don't want her to be alone."

"She will not be alone, Tony. I'm staying here. I send Abby and McGee home, and Ducky is driving Jen home as we speak."

"But boss…"

"Tony, please go home and get a couple of hours of sleep and then you can come back."

He nodded and then reluctantly got up from the chair. He kissed her forehead and whispered slowly "I will be back sweetchecks and I want to see your beautiful eyes and your gorgeous smile."

Gibbs smiled weakly, while observing the scene, and then as Tony was moving towards the door, Gibbs said:

"You know I should kill you both for never obeying my rules." 

Tony smile and then left the room, and Gibbs sat down on Tony's chair.

He put his hand under his chin and looked at Ziva, with fatherly love. _"You're a strong woman Ziva and if you will be able to tame Tony, you have my admiration."_ He thought.

* * *

The days flew by, without any change in Ziva's condition. The doctors and nurses were not to happy that Ziva received so many visitors, but they got used to the idea that there was somebody with her during the day and night. Tony came by a couple of times a day, bringing her flowers, or stuffed teddy bears. Abby brought her farting Hippo with her and Ducky spend hours with her telling her different stories from his youth. Besides Tony and Gibbs, deputy director David was spending a lot of time in the hospital, talking to his daughter, assuring her comfort, protecting her.

Tony had found one day a gun under her pillow and when Ziva's father came to visit, he explained to Tony that he wanted his daughter to feel safe, and that she always had felt in control if she had a gun with her.

Two weeks had passed since she had been in the hospital, and Ziva was now breathing on her own, but she still refused to awake from her slumber. On a Friday morning Tony came to take over and let Abby get some sleep. It was the forth night in a row that Abby had been sleeping in Ziva's room, and it was time for hear to get some proper sleep. Abby left only after Tony promised her like a hundred times that he will call if there is any change. After she left, he sat down next to Ziva, while putting on his portable DVD player Casablanca. He was holding her hand and, kissing her every once in a while on the check, talking to her hoping that she would wake up. He paused the movie and put the DVD player on the table next to her bed, then took her hand again.

"Sweetcheeks you're not making this too easy for me. What must I do, to wake you up, hm?" he asked looking at her,

"Ziva I love you, and I know you love me to. Please wake up."

But there was nothing, no change in her condition. He was about to stand up to get some coffee form the wending machine, when he felt a light hand squeeze. 

"Ziva baby, wake up you can do it. Squeeze my hand again." 

He waited patiently for her to squeeze his hand again, but nothing happened and he was starting to believe that he just imagined it.

He took the DVD player and played the movie, but soon he fell asleep, with his head very close to Ziva's hand.

She opened her eyes, and felt how everything hurt. Then she saw the end credits rolling on the small portable DVD player, but still did not understand where she was or why she was feeling this pain. Ziva then slowly turned her head to the right and noticed the bandages on her arms and everything came back to her. Barak, his torture methods, the fact that she beat him up, her colleagues to the rescue, the loud bang and Tony telling her that he loved her, everything came back to her and the pain became more intense. She moved her head to the left and then noticed that somebody was sleeping next to her head. She looked at him with love and slowly stroked his hair, softly calling his name.

He heard a voice, like he was dreaming, and it was her voice. _"Tony she is in a coma and your imagination is going wild. She hasn't woken up." _He thought in his sleep. Then he heard the voice saying that he would be killed with a paperclip if he doesn't wake up and his head shut up in the air, looking at the wonderful green eyes of Ziva David.

"Ziva! You, you came back." He exhaled.

"Yes Tony. You wouldn't shut up for one second and let me sleep." she responded with a smirk on her face. 

"Well you needed a prince to wake up, sleeping beauty." He said full of himself.

"Really? Where is he?" she replied, while laughing loudly."

His ego defleted, but he was happy to have his Ziva back.

"I'm your prince Zee-Vha." He responded and moved closer to her.

"I love you Ziva" he said and looked her in the eyes.

"I love you too Tony."

He stood up from his chair and kissed her passionately, she responded to his kiss with the same passion, pulling him closer to her. 

Finally they both parted from the kiss. She smiled, touching his face, his mouth, he kissed her palm. A cough caused them both to turn their heads towards the door. Gibbs was looking at them both with a smirk on his face, and next to him was Deputy Director David. Ziva's father walked over to Ziva's bed, having an undecipherable expression. Tony walked away form Ziva, joining Gibbs, who head-slapped him, still having the smirk on his face. Director David gazed at her and then kissed her on the forehead, and then said something in Hebrew. Gibbs took Tony out of the room letting father and daughter have some privacy. 

"I turn my head for one second and you two already break rule number 12." The boss man said.

"If you hurt her, you will have one angry father, whole Mossad and me on your tail." Gibbs added.

"Gee thanks boss. That's making me feel so much better." Tony said, and then stared laughing.

Both men went out for coffee, and in the meantime both of them were calling members of the team to let them know that Ziva had woken up. 

One hour later, Abby stormed in Ziva's hospital room, interrupting a father-daughter conversation, hugging her tightly, until the wounded assassin let out a little moan.

"Ohh Ziva, I'm so sorry." Abby quickly apologized and then saw Tony walking him, so she jumped to hug him. 

A couple of minutes later, McGee, Jen and Ducky arrived, all glad to see Ziva. 

The doctor came to check up on her several times, tried to get all the people out of the room, but he finally gave up when he saw that he was ignored. From his point of view Ziva would make a full recovery, but she still had to remain under observation for a couple more days.

All the excitement made Ziva tiered, thing that did not went unnoticed by Gibbs and her father. Every time she moved, she twitched because of the pain, but she did not want to say anything and spoil the happiness. Her father and Gibbs noticed the twitching and finally said:

"All right, everybody out." Gibbs said

"My daughter needs her rest." Deputy Director David added.

"I will call a nurse Ziva, to give you something for the pain." Gibbs said and went to get the nurse.

She nodded relieved and saw how Gibbs called the nurse, and how the young woman walked in with a trey full of shots. The woman injected something in to the IV and after a few minutes she relaxed.

The team said their goodbyes and promised to return in a little while. Almost all of the team left the room except, her father, Gibbs and Tony. Deputy Director David kissed her forehead and walked out, Gibbs said goodbye and was pulling Tony out of the room.

"Boss one minute. I want to tuck her in." he said with a smile on his face.

Gibbs smile and left the room.

"So my little assassin, you get some rest now and I will check up on you later." He declared.

"OK my little hairy butt." She answered smiling.

He kissed her lips and walked towards the door. Before leaving the room he turned back and saw a sleeping Ziva. She looked so peaceful, like nothing bad had happened to her, but the bruises reminded everybody of the nightmare she had been trough. 

* * *

One week later Ziva was released from the hospital. Deputy Director David returned to Tel Aviv, and Tony insisted that she should stay at his place until she will get back on her feet.

She threatened to kill Tony if he treated her as a child, but deep down she was happy that she could finally have her fairytale ending.


End file.
